Consuming Darkness
by EternalSorrow
Summary: Post Anime. Seras drank the blood of her master, but can she control the powers within? AxS
1. Changes

A/N: The pilot chapter for my new Hellsing story. I'll still be finishing "A Different Meeting," but I wanted to put this one out before the inspiration left me. Thanks everyone!!!

Disclaimer: Don't own Hellsing, and this statement applies to all other chapters.

**Consuming Darkness**

Changes

The silence of the cell was broken by heavy footsteps walking toward the bed, then the sound of shattering glass.

"The choice is yours" Alucard said, his grin widening.

Integra returned one of her own, watching the mix of blood and wine drip from his glove. With a distasteful nod, she turned her eyes on the vampire. With an unwavering stare she slowly shook her head, the grin never disappearing from her lips. She would not dishonor her family's name with such an act.

"As you wish, my master" Alucard replied, pulling back his arm. His faced showed nothing but the ever present amusement, and Integra vaguely wondered if he ever let fall the facade.

Shaking the useless thoughts from her mind, she focused on the matters at hand. With calm now encompassing the room, Integra stood and started pacing the cell. Her business attitude had returned, and with it came many thoughts. The Queen's representatives had already visited her, telling the Hellsing leader what her future would be. There would be an inquisition made by the crown, upon which would be discovered her innocence. Fortunately, the investigation had already begun, meaning less time in this wretched prison.

But the real challenges lay after her release. Her organization was in shambles, with her men either dead or arrested. She would need to rebuild Hellsing, but that would take time, something she doubted the Freaks would give her. Which meant the only ones she could count on at the moment were the two vampires and her butler.

"When will Walter be released?" she asked the vampire before her, having been told of the retainers healing injuries by the Queen's puppet.

"He expects to return to his duties in a week's time, Sir Hellsing" her servant responded, the disgust at playing messenger evident in his tone.

"And what of your pet?" Integra asked with a smirk. Though she was silently grateful for Seras' help during the incident, the girl was still a vampire. And a constant reminder of Alucard's disobedience.

Alucard's smile broadened at the mention of the young vampire. "She is no longer my pet, my master."

Integra stopped her pacing and turned her head toward the No-Life King, giving him a penetrating stare. "What do you mean? Explain yourself" she ordered, biting down angrily on her cigar. Surprises at this time were most unwelcome.

"The servant-master bond was broken when she drank my blood in the Tower. Seras is now her own master, a true nosferatu."

The Hellsing leader removed her cigar and dusted the burnt end into a provided ashtray, contemplating this new information. The new vampire would have to be dealt, but in what way she would decide later. Now more important matters were at hand...

Several weeks later found Seras sitting in her room, having nothing to do but ponder the events of the changes which had taken place. No missions had been assigned to her yet, and she did not feel inclined to ask for them. So here she sat, as the memories passed through her mind.

Walter had brought the young vampire back to the institute from her former apartment, where she'd been concealing herself since the incident.

Sir Integra had only just returned from her confinement, having been publicly pardoned by the Queen herself. Fortunately, no one had been able to find the real reason for Hellsing's existence, and all who had asked were quickly silenced. Some in more brutal ways than others.

And her former master was a most puzzling matter. She'd seen him only a few times since the Tower incident, but each encounter had been For one, he had addressed her by her real name. But then, she was free from his servitude, having willingly drunk of his blood. And now she no idea what to do or how to handle her new found freedom. After all, Alucard had never trained her in regards to her abilities, and with Fargason dead she had no one to turn to for guidance.

The second problem was the very penetrating stares her former master had been giving her during their meetings. She had caught him several times, each no less disturbing than the last. From the obvious fact that she _had_ caught him, Alucard had apparently wanted Seras to know he was watching her. But why? Whenever her eyes would meet his, his grin would widen and he would turn away. Those interactions had brought back memories from the Tower, when she'd awoken to find him standing before her. His grin had widened then, too.

A few relationships, however, were becoming less unsettling. Though still cold, Integra had been more cordial toward her since the incident. But she had rescued the Hellsing leader from the sacrificial altar, and some form of gratitude was expected. Walter had returned from the hospital, fully recovered and eager to serve his mistress. Her daily rations had resumed, signaling an end to her raids on the local blood banks.

As if on cue, the door to her room opened and the elderly retainer entered, carrying his customary bucket. Seras could smell the blood bag in the pail, and had to restrain herself from jumping Walter and tearing into the donated nourishment. As of late, she'd had a more difficult time restraining her hunger, the one packet a night barely satisfying her. The former fledgling had no idea if this was a natural reaction for newly created No-Life Queens, and had no way of finding the truth.

"Thank you, Walter" Seras said, rising from her bed and gratefully taking the offered pail. Walter nodded his head in acknowledgment, then left to deal with the household management.

When his footsteps had died away, Seras swiftly tore the blood packet out of the ice and threw the pail aside, not caring about the mess the frozen water would make later. She hastily bit into the thawing container, sucking every last drop into her mouth. The vampire rather liked the taste more than she used to, but her humanity still kept her from fully enjoying the refreshment.

With the blood now gone, Seras threw the bag into the trash and rested once more on her bed. With a sigh of contentment, she lay herself down, feeling drowsy from the intoxicating liquid. Pressing the control pad, she closed the lid to her coffin, idly wondering how long her unlife would stay this way.

Meanwhile, Integra sat at her desk, running over the daily paperwork Walter had brought her. She put down the paper she held for a moment, staring at the picture of her father hanging upon the wall. Her thoughts wandered to her servant, who had been acting most peculiar of late, a feat for the maniacal vampire. His visits to her office were as common as before, but his attitude around her was more aloft, more formal. He acted as if they were merely business partners, discussing the best ways to eliminate the competition.

And strangely, since the night in the dungeon, Alucard had not offered her his blood. He had been so adamant before the incident, pestering her on a nearly daily basis. Now he seemed disinterested in the matter, never giving mention to his once often asked question. She highly doubted he had been discouraged by her refusal, but what the true explanation was she could not guess.

Sighing, Integra resumed her business, intent on eliminating one of the stacks on her desk before the sun rose. Later, when the organization was once more operating, she would ask Walter about the elder vampire's strange behavior.


	2. Complications

A/N: I finally finished with the second chapter, and here it is! Hope it meets with everyone's expectations!!

Complications

Several days later found Seras pacing her room for the countless time, having nothing else to do. The blood packet brought earlier had been duly, almost joyfully, taken care of, and there were expected no other visitations for the evening. She growled low in her throat, frustrated with her boredom. For some unexplainable reason, she was restless tonight. She felt like a caged animal, aching for a hunt.

_"I wonder if Sir Integra has any missions for me tonight" _she thought hopefully.

Seras stopped her pacing, a shocked expression on her face. She couldn't believe the thought had arisen in her to _want_ to ask for carnage. Only a few nights before she'd been grateful for the loss of missions. She abhorred the violence her new occupation brought, the sight of slaughter still giving her waking memories gruesome aspects. So why would she wish to ask for an assignment?

"Thirsting for bloodshed, Seras?" a voice called from the shadows. The sound filled her small prison, followed by the familiar mocking laughter of her former master.

"Alucard" she muttered, stopping her pacing and peering around her room. She'd hoped he could no longer read her mind, but apparently her belief was not well founded. Much to her dismay and annoyance.

Seras growled in annoyance when he did not appear, apparently having more important matters to attend to. He could have at least shown his face to her, rather than lurking in the shadows. _But then, hiding in the darkness was a habit of his _she thought brazenly, caring little whether he heard or not.

Seras' eyes widened as she realized what she'd just thought, and the attitude she'd acquired with those words. Though Alucard was no longer her master, he was still much more powerful than herself. And if he wanted to punish her for her impudence, no one would stop him.

Sighing, Seras shook her head dejectedly and walked to her door. Maybe Sir Integra would have something for her to do, if only to occupy her mind. She'd be grateful for anything, even if the given assignment was a mission. With her mind now decided, she swiftly made her way to the Hellsing leader's office.

But reaching the intimidating solid wood door, Seras' conviction almost failed her. Knocking timidly on the door, she heard the command to enter. Entering the office cautiously, she walked over to the large desk, behind which sat Integra. Seeing the many stacks of paper awaiting her commander's attention, Seras knew she would have to make this conversation quick.

"Sir Integra, is there anything I can do for you? Any missions or assignments?" she asked eagerly. But her face fell as she watched the Hellsing leader clench the paper she held, obviously irritated by her questions.

"Officer Victoria, I do not have time for a bored vampire" Integra said, not looking up from the stack of papers placed before her. "I am having enough trouble keeping Alucard occupied without adding you to my responsibilities." Then she lifted her head, staring straight into Seras' eyes. "But if you wish to do something productive, I recommend you work on your targeting skills. You will not always have your harkonnen at hand." With that said, Integra returned to her paperwork.

"Yes, sir " Seras said, nodding her head obediently. Understanding that the conversation was now closed, she left the office and proceeded to the firing range. The eye contact Integra had made with the former fledgling told Seras that the statement was command for her to practice, not a suggestion. All for the good of the organization, of course.

Arriving at her destination, Seras went to the locker assigned to her. Looking through the contents, she removed a small hand pistol from the assortment of weapons she'd acquired. The vampiress had occasionally found weapons lying around the range, either abandoned by their owners or the purchaser had fallen in the line of duty. She'd picked them up out of habit, Walter having other work to worry about, and stored them in the only place she could think of. Her locker. Now she had quite a collection of arms, one which she was quite proud of. _Strange_ Seras thought, as she loaded the gun. _I never liked guns until recently._

Ignoring the frightened stares she was receiving from the other occupants of the room, she walked over to an empty stall. _Maybe I'm just glad to have something to do other than sitting in my room_ she assumed, taking aim. She pulled the trigger as quickly as possible, testing her vampiric speed and accuracy.

But after releasing several clips into the poster before her, Seras began to notice something strange. Though she was accustomed to the stares from her fellow officers, tonight their very presence was bothering her. She couldn't explain why, but her instincts were telling her to leave, and quickly.

With each passing moment, Seras felt more uneasy around the humans, almost to the point of sickening her. She shuffled her feet nervously, wondering why she was so uncomfortable. The friendly vampiress had never had trouble being with people before, so why now?

When the tension became nearly unbearable, Seras decided to call it a night. After firing off the remaining rounds in her gun, she quickly placed the weapon back in her locker and left the firing range. In her hurry to leave, she didn't notice the two red eyes watching from the far wall, looking quite pleased with what had taken place.

Seras lay down on her bed, happily nuzzling into the pillow. After the stress of the night, she was looking forward to a good day's rest. _And maybe tomorrow will be better _she thought, as she drifted into sleep.

Seras was in a darkened room. She remembered falling asleep, so now she must be dreaming. But she hadn't dreamed since her turning, with neither nightmare nor fantasy penetrating her rest. Looking around curiously, she could discern nothing from her surroundings. No walls were seen and the ceiling seemed endless, stretching into the black abyss.

But she could feel someone around her, watching her. She could feel her chest tightening as her breathing came out in gasps, the only sound in the eerie silence. Seras looked around wildly, trying to find the source for her rising terror. But she could see nothing, feel nothing but the fear and pressure building within her. She felt like prey, being stalked by a hunter more cunning and agile than she.

_Alucard!_ she screamed, as the fear within her spilled out.

Seras awoke in a sweat, though blood covering her body instead of water. She groped for the button to lift the lid to her bed, wanting to remove the blood from her body as soon as possible. Finding the wanted pad, she opened her modern version of a coffin, swinging her legs over the side.

Seras cradled her head in her hands, trying to forget the terror she'd felt in her dream. She thought back to what had taken place and wondered why had she'd screamed for her former master. It wasn't like he would have cared or anything, not like he loved her. _Was he even capable of feeling love for someone? _she contemplated.

But Alucard had chosen to give her the gift of immortality, so was she really a replacement for Integra? After all, one couldn't be with someone for eternity without some emotion between them. Though whether love had to be that emotion was debatable.

_Wishful thinking, Seras_ she told herself, rising from her bed and walking to her dresser. Changing into presentable clothing, she grabbed a towel and strolled toward the bathroom, intent on relaxing with a nice hot shower.

Blazing red eyes watched Seras exit her room, chuckling quietly. An eventful night indeed.


	3. Practice

A/N: The updates for this story are going to be erratic, but they'll come eventually. Thanks to the readers and reviewers!!!

Practice

During the next few days, Seras kept her distance from the human troops. A forced self-isolation was the only idea she could think of to avoid the uncomfortable feelings she'd experienced. Fortunately, the task was less than difficult for the young vampire, taking in consideration her sleeping area. The basement of the Hellsing manor was rarely frequented by the organization's staff, Walter being the only exception. They never wandered very far beyond her room, preferring to leave the dust and cobwebs of time to themselves.

Seras suspected they were able to sense Alucard lurking nearby, protective of his keep.

Unfortunately, there was one problem Seras was not able to escape from. Every night since the first, her dreams had been haunted with the same recurring nightmare. They varied neither in length nor in content, always with her being hunted by a stifling presence.

But the previous night's dream had been different from the others. Rather than the oppressive silence, she'd heard noises. Footsteps, coming from the darkness before her. She'd attempted to retreat from their sound, only to find the source matching her movements, and gaining.

Now here she was, prowling the lower halls with her nightmare plaguing her waking thoughts. Seras could think of no explanation for the repeating dream, and could ask no one about the meaning they might possibly hold.

Seras, deep in her thoughts, suddenly stopped, a puzzled expression on her face. Taking a few experimental steps forward, she realized something was missing. Her footsteps made no noise on the stone floor. Rather than the steady click of her boots, there was merely silence following her progress down the hall. The loss of sound proved to be uncomfortable to the young vampire, and she stopped her progression through the halls. If only to comprehend her new found stealth ability.

Then her sensitive ears heard a sound, a whispering in the silent corridor. Seras looked around her, seeing not a soul. The instinct to run nearly overwhelmed her, telling her danger was coming. The voice grew louder, and she clapped her hands over her ears, trying to block the noises, bending down from the weight of emotions flooding through her. But she could still hear them, and now something else. Footsteps. The same sound from her dreams, approaching her, steady in their stride. The young vampire looked ahead of her, waiting for the figure to reveal themselves.

Suddenly a hand fell across her shoulder, startling a shriek from her mouth. Standing straight and spinning around, she was confronted with the kindly, albeit confused, face of Walter. Seras breathed a sigh of relief, trying to calm her erratic and unnecessary breathing.

"Walter, you startled me" Seras spoke, clutching her heart out of habit.

"So I imagine" Walter replied, chuckling at the young woman before him. "But might I ask what you were doing on the ground?"

"Nothing" she answered, turning back toward the darkened hallway. But she neither heard nor saw anything, and no sense of dread permeated the air.

"What brings you down here?" the young vampire asked, turning once more to the butler. She attempted a smile, trying to hide her quickly dissipating fear.

Walter held up a pail, the blood bag cooling in the ice. "I've come to deliver your meal."

Seras smiled, taking the pail from him and walking toward her room. Silence her only companion.

Reaching her room, Seras dropped the pail on the table and sat down on her bed. Absently sipping the blood bag in her hand, she contemplated the strange occurrences surrounding her. The idea that she needed training was becoming a more necessary option, and Alucard was less than forthcoming with volunteering. Sighing, the young vampire tossed the now empty blood bad into the trash can, her hunger unsatisfied.

Hanging her head, Seras allowed her thoughts to wander through the past few days, beginning with the incident in the shooting range. All those humans around her, making her feel more uncomfortable than she'd ever felt in her life, and unlife.

Seras' head shot up, as she suddenly realized why she had felt nervous around the troops. She wanted their blood. Her body was demanding food, not interaction, from the Hellsing men. Her instincts were telling her to feed from them, drain them of every drop of the sweet liquid.

_My god, what am I becoming?! _Seras thought, panic rising in her. She needed time to think, needed training. And most of all, she needed Alucard's help to control her increased bloodlust. But what could force him to train her?

Then a sudden thought hit her, and she smiled with joy at the idea. Not _what _could force him, but _who_.

A few minutes later found Seras once more standing before Integra's desk, watching as the woman worked on the dwindling piles of paper on her desk.

"What is it?" the Hellsing leader asked, once more irritated at the vampire's interruption. She'd just received reports of Freak sightings in an area around London, and had no time for the foolish girl standing before her.

"Sir Integra, I would like a few weeks off to practice my dark powers" Seras asked, almost laughing at her choice of words. As a human, she would never have thought she'd say such ridiculous, but true, words.

Integra raised her head, giving Seras a careful stare. "Permission granted, but only for three weeks." When her subordinate made no move to leave, the Hellsing leader's eyes met hers. "Is there something else you wished, Officer Victoria?" she asked curtly, her patience wearing with the young vampire.

Seras shifted uncomfortably under her commander's piercing gaze. "Yes, there is. I would like Alucard to teach me" Seras spoke quickly, turning her eyes away from her commander.

Integra frowned, vexed at the request. "I cannot spare Alucard for your training. Though the number of Freaks have dwindled, we have yet to find the source. Until we do, you must study by yourself." With that said, she returned to her papers, ignoring Seras' downcast face.

Resigning herself to Sir. Integra's orders, Seras saluted and quickly left the office. When the door had closed behind her and the young vampire's footsteps had ceased to be heard, Integra looked up from her papers, a frown upon her face.

"Alucard" she called, reaching for a cigar.

The master vampire appeared through one of the walls, a smirk on his face. He strode over to her desk, obediently standing before the imposing woman.

"What of this, Alucard? I ordered you to train her" Integra said, turning her chair toward the window overlooking the grounds. "Why have you disobeyed me?" Her fingers intertwined, expecting nothing more than a sarcastic remark from the vampire.

"I saw her training as a waste of time, my master" he answered. The smirk grew wider, but Integra did not see the strange change in expression.

"And now?" she asked, turning her full attention on the nosferatu. Answers given by her pet were rare, and she saw this as an opportunity to question her servant. Besides, she had noticed his use of the past tense when describing his reasons.

Alucard merely grinned and bowed, fading into the shadows.


	4. Concentration

A/N: Sorry for the long delay, my imagination and I are having constructive differences. Thanks to everyone!!!!!

Concentration

Seras walked dejectedly down the hall to her room, her head hanging in disappointment. Her mission had been a near complete failure. She now had the necessary time to train, but had no one from whom to learn. With a loud sigh, she reached her room and pushed open the door.

"Miss Victoria?" a voice suddenly asked, making Seras' head jerk up in surprise.

Walter was before her, standing next to her table with a worried expression on his face. The No-Life Queen cursed her own negligence, being caught so unaware.

"Walter, what are you doing here?" she asked, shuffling her feet nervously. Seras had hoped to have time to herself to cover her obvious disappointment.

"I merely came to check if you were all right. Your behavior earlier in the evening was certainly...strange" he spoke. His concerned look deepened at the young woman's agitation.

"Oh, that" she said. Seras had completely forgotten the experience, her fear at losing her humanity to her hunger having overridden all other thoughts.

Then a sudden idea came to the young vampire, one which made her new training more useful. With the impending stress upon her body, she would surely need a larger amount of medical blood. The young vampire gave him a small smile as she walked over to the table, seating herself in the single chair.

"I'm alright, but can I ask you a favor?" Receiving a positive nod from Walter, she continued. "Could I have another packet of blood a night? Um, because, you see..." Seras said, stumbling on her words. She could think of no clear explanation to give to the elderly retainer.

"No need, Miss Victoria" Walter interrupted, giving her a knowing smile. "I have already been informed of your training. I will gladly bring you the needed blood tomorrow, after your session is over." With that said, he left to attend to other chores.

Seras inwardly sighed, relieved at finding the retainers mind already resolved. She wasn't sure how to explain her increasing needs for more blood, and refused to lie to the kindly retainer. Laying down on her bed, the young vampire wondered how she would begin her training, completely ignorant on how to start. She suspected the techniques involved some form of physical training, along with the more obvious mental teaching.

Rolling over on her side, Seras drifted off into another troubled sleep.

Opening her eyes, Seras realized with numb horror she had returned to the room. But there were now many physical differences surrounding her. The darkness was now beyond penetration, she could not even see her hand held before her face. Now she also felt as if she were in a large room, the sensation of being surrounded by surfaces entering her mind. She held her arms out before her, hoping to find any of the solid substances she now felt.

"Has the kitten lost her way?" a mocking voice called

Seras stiffened, her arms falling to her sides and her hands clenching into fists. The title kitten, the nickname her D-11 squad had affectionately given to her. Only one person would know such a treasured memory, and being willing to use such a painful reminder on her. She turned her head from side to side, trying to pinpoint where the noise had come from.

Suddenly a hand brushed against her back, as a deep chuckle resounded through her body. Seras jumped forward with a shriek, wishing this nightmare would end. But the noise of amusement grew louder, echoing off the confined space and drowning out her own scream of terror.

Seras quickly sat up in her bed, slamming her head into the closed lid and falling back with a groan. She lay still for a moment, holding her bruised forehead and recollecting her senses. Curling into a tight ball, she slowly calmed herself with a few deep breaths. Her body was shaking and a cold sweat of blood had soaked through her nightgown. She let out one last shuddered gasp, wondering why her dreams were becoming more frightening with each passing night.

Then Seras realized how foolish she was being, fretting over such a commonplace occurrence as having a nightmare. Her dream was already fading from her memory, and she knew she needed her strength for tonight, or her training would be a _complete_ failure. Discerning the time of day, the young vampire realized the sun would not set for several more hours. Resigning herself to falling back into sleep, she situated herself comfortably on the pillow and drifted into a blessedly dreamless sleep.

The young vampire awoke at sunset, her mind alert though her body screamed for more sleep. But this night commenced the beginning of Seras' training, and the No-Life Queen was determined to prove her abilities. With a positive outlook and the will to push herself, she began her routine for the next few weeks. And strangely, she could not recall her dream of the previous night. She was aware of having a nightmare, but what had taken place would not come to mind.

Brushing her useless thoughts aside, she dressed and drank the single packet of blood placed on the table. Seras had decided to practice outside on the extensive grounds, finding a perfect spot near the edge of the woods bordering the Hellsing compound. Here her training would not be interrupted by anyone, other than the possibility of Alucard and Walter finding her.

Seras sat down in her spot, stretching her legs out before her and settling her hands in her lap. The young vampire began by relaxing her body, concentrating on the grass beneath her and the air around her. Unfortunately, her attentiveness was less than astounding, thanks in part to the disturbed sleep of the past few nights.

Seras repeatedly tried to focus her mind on her body, practically digging herself apart to find any hint of power. All of which was to no avail. She dropped back on the ground with a sigh of frustration, only to shoot back up with an audible squeak. Her former master stood behind her, his frame bent low over her body. Their faces had been mere inches from each other when she had leaned back, and staring into the ruby eyes of a psychotic vampire was not a pleasant experience.

"Alucard, bloody hell!" she yelled, leaning her head back. "Must you be so quiet?!" His passive face only furthered to anger her, as he began stalking around her in a manner similar to a predator. "What do you want?" she asked, knowing the comment was rude but caring little. He had startled her once too often.

"Seras" Alucard warned, though his grin remained on his face. He stopped his pacing, standing before her with the moon at his back.

Seras slowly hung her head in defeat, knowing she had overstepped her authority. She could feel his displeasure, rather than see the emotion. Though he was no longer her master, he still deserved the respect of her sire. And he was much more powerful than her.

"I'm sorry, Alucard" she apologized, raising her head. Seras thought she saw a flash of displeasure in his eyes, with something more hidden deeper. But she shook herself from her foolish thoughts. Of course she noticed displeasure, he despised her very existence.

But then, what was he doing here?

"Was there something needed?" Seras asked, standing and brushing the grass from her uniform.

Alucard silently held up a blood bag, its dark contents shining in the glare from the moon. Seras' eyes snapped to attention, their gaze locked on the delicious meal. She was barely able to restrain her hunger, the sudden appearance of the sustenance causing her mind to nearly collapse.

"Walter was coming to bring you your dinner. I offered my services in the task." Alucard held the blood just out of Seras' reach, taunting her.

The elder vampire's smirk grew larger, as Seras' hand suddenly flew toward the bag. Only to meet with empty air. She growled at him, angered that the rightful nourishment was being held from her. But taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and held out her hand, palm up.

"Alucard, I don't have time for your fun. I'm trying to train" she said, gritting her teeth. The strain upon her mind and the hunger gnawing at her stomach were fraying her meager patience for the elder vampire's 'game.'

The mention of her attempts at practice raised an interested eyebrow, while Alucard's grin now nearly covered his entire face.

"Perhaps you will show me what you have learned?" he asked mockingly.

At his question, Seras blushed and hung her head in embarrassment. She had yet to feel even the slightest twinge of power from herself, though she had been dutifully concentrating for the last hour. And now any hope of continuing her training was quickly slipping from sight, with her former master the object of distraction.

Sighing, Seras shook her head and raised her gaze to meet the amused and cold eyes of the No-Life King.

"May I please have my meal, Alucard?" she asked, still holding out her hand. Her pride currently meant little to her, and she knew the idea was unimportant to the creature before her. He would have no other reason for teasing and mocking her so. And the thought of escaping to her room with the needed nourishment conquered her fatigue, at least for the moment.

Alucard's eyes suddenly blazed red, his lips curling to form a perfect frown. A low growl escaped his mouth as he looked to her hand, his brow lowering in dissatisfaction.

The unexpected emotion made Seras step back in surprise, only to have a hand roughly grab her arm with superhuman speed. Suddenly the blood bag was shoved into her chest, with the instinct to grab the object keeping the meal from falling to the ground.

Disappointment was the only readable emotion in his eyes, and Seras' blood boiled at the look of disgust. His primary response toward her had always been such, and she was tired of seeing such an undeserved expression. She had been thrust unknowingly into a world of power struggles and endless bloodshed, performed her gruesome duties for Hellsing with no complaints, and had been a loyal, albeit not entirely obedient, servant to the monster now standing before her. What more was he asking of her?!

With a sudden snarl, Seras dropped the bag hanging from her arm and lunged toward the surprised, and equally amused, master vampire. She barely missed cutting a deep gash across his chest with her lengthened fingers, as Alucard quickly vanished from where he had stood.

"Perhaps the kitten wants to play?" his voice echoed around her, though she could not find where he stood.

Seras' head snapped up at the mention of her old nickname. She slowly turned toward where the voice had eminated, her eyes narrowed in anger. _So he **was** in my dreams!!! _she thought, feeling emboldened by the satisfied feeling in her stomach.

Alucard suddenly appeared in front of her, making her stumble back in surprise. "You are having dreams?" he asked, catching Seras off guard. His tone was actually filled with curiosity, and his eyes were set on her with an expression of interest. The sneer had disappeared, with not a hint of disgust nor hatred on his face.

Seras scowled at him, not amused by his antics. He'd had enough fun at her expense and she wasn't willing to give him more information to laugh at. Besides, he'd invaded her thoughts once again, and she was tiring of such a personal intrusion. Turning toward the mansion, and with her back toward Alucard, she walked quickly away, ignoring his question entirely.

Alucard merely watched her go, his grin slowly returning as he pondered her thoughts.


	5. Berserker

A/N: Really hard to write under depression. Thanks everyone for waiting!

Berserker

During next three weeks, Seras practiced in her usual spot every night from sunset to near sunrise. She had sat patiently for the duration of her training, concentrating her mind and focusing her will. Unfortunately, there was little improvement and she could not understand why. She _had_ felt a nudge against her senses during the last few days of her training, but was unable to recognize or even distinguish the sensation from her own emotions.

But Seras was thankful for one blessing. Alucard had not interrupted her training since the first night, with Walter now bringing her the extra blood bag. The elder vampire had bothered her greatly with their encounter, and the look of interest he had given brought unease to her being. She had never seen such an emotion cross his face, and directed toward her was disturbing.

Before the sun had risen on her last night of practice, Seras was walking back to the mansion when she had suddenly stopped. There was a tugging within her, the same she had felt for the past few nights. The young vampire perceived this pull to be stronger than the previous, as if trying to direct her toward a visible goal. She eagerly focused on the new sensation, struggling to bring the feeling to the surface of her mind.

"Giving up, Police Girl?" a voice suddenly asked, ringing through the crisp air of the morning.

Seras' eyes shot open and her head quickly lifted as she looked around for the speaker. She knew the voice to be Alucard's, and inwardly groaned at his intrusion. Though she did wonder why he was now bothering to approach her, since her training was now over. "No" she mumbled, closing her eyes and trying once more to concentrate on the feeling.

Unfortunately, the strange sensation had vanished, and anger rose in Seras. The elder vampire had distracted her mind when she most needed the focus and then had blatantly ignored her. She stomped the rest of the way to her room, her teeth grinding and her hands clenched into fists. For one time in her undead life, she greatly wished to tear someone to shreds with her bare hands.

Seras reached her room and closed the door behind herself, slumping against the cool wood. She lifted a hand and cradled her face in the palm, shaking her head. Her thoughts were becoming all too emotional as of late, and most of the outbursts appeared to be directed at her maker. She suddenly snickered, wondering how the master vampire would feel becoming her own personal stress reliever.

A loud laughter accompanied her own, startling Seras out of her merriment. She narrowed her eyes and looked around her room, seeing not a soul but herself. But she had recognized the maniacal cackling of her former master.

"What is it you want from me, Alucard?" she called to the air, hardly expecting a response.

Therefore, she was not surprised to hear only silence, a welcomed reprieve from her former master's taunting. She sighed, mentally exhausted from her fruitless work and feeling disappointed with herself. Thankfully she'd stopped dreaming the recurring nightmare, and rejoiced in the idea that she may never have another. The young vampire was looking forward to a comfortable sleep in her mechanical coffin, and gladly slipped into the comforting folds of her sheets as the top slowly settled around her.

Seras awoke the next night with a small groan. She was less than thrilled about returning to duty and only wished to remain in her coffin the entire evening. Pressing the button to raise the lid, she scowled at the sight before her.

Alucard sat in the lone chair at her table, his feet propped up on the hardwood surface. He was facing her and had apparently been waiting for some time, for his usually smug face showed signs of impatience. Seras' less than pleased expression at his presence seemed not to affect him, as his grin slid into place.

"What brings you here, Alucard?" she asked, a slight strain in her voice. She would not allow herself to forget his several interruptions the previous evening.

Surprisingly, Alucard showed no signs of annoyance at her obviously rude tone. He merely placed his feet on the stone floor and stood, walking over to where she sat. Seras stood to meet him, knowing he would try to intimidate her more by towering over her reclined form.

"You failed in your training" he stated rather than asked.

Seras snorted at his remark, knowing well he had been the major contributor for her failure. His lack of tutoring would be the true death of her if she would not be able to learn her powers.

"If you've only come here to mock me, then I suggest you leave" Seras said, grinding her teeth together in anger. "I have to get dressed and report to Sir Integra." At the moment she was very grateful to have fallen asleep in her uniform, though she now needed a less wrinkled attire.

Seras lifted her hands against his chest to shove him toward the closed door, but Alucard suddenly grabbed both wrists, pulling them between their bodies. Looking up with confusion, her eyes widened as she looked into his own. They were brighter than she last remembered them being, and in their depths she beheld a strange...longing. Peering at him, she suddenly had the urge to...play.

Seras smirked, a look uncannily like the elder vampire's. Alucard returned one of his own, releasing his hold on her but not stepping back. She ran a gloved hand over his neck, inching her body closer to his own.

"Do you want to play with me, Alucard?" Seras asked seductively. She wrapped her arms around Alucard's neck, leaning her body into his. The young vampire could feel the small amount of heat coming from his body and pressed herself closer, relishing in the now unfamiliar sensation of warmth.

Alucard chuckled, his customary smirk growing wider. He didn't say a word as he rested his hands on her waist, roughly squeezing her hip bones.

Seras' eyes widened at the pain, suddenly realizing what she was doing. With a gasp, she quickly unwrapped her arms from his neck and tried to pull herself away from the No-Life King. But the elder vampire merely elevated his chuckle to a laugh, still holding her waist tightly with no sign of letting go.

"Alucard" Seras pleaded, squirming in his hold. When he merely chuckled, her anger flared up. "Let go!" she snapped, suddenly slapping him in the face. The force of the blow was enough to snap his head back, and would have broken an ordinary man's neck. But the No-Life Queen could perceive the corner of his eye, and what she saw chilled her cold blood. Amusement. Infinite amusement was in his eyes.

"But doesn't the kitten want to play?" he asked mockingly, turning his face forward and tightening his grip.

Seras quickly shook her head, stiffening as she felt tears well up in her eyes. The pain was increasing with each pressure of his hands, and she favored being submissive if only he would let go. She felt the displeasure radiate off the monster before her, making her shut her eyes and wince as a low growl came from him. She sensed him lean his head down, his face brushing against her own.

"Pathetic" he whispered in her ear.

Throwing her body from his grasp, he turned around and walked through the wall opposite Seras. She breathed a sigh of relief, clutching her wrist as she felt the tendons and bone regenerate. Getting dressed and calming her thoughts, she journeyed to Sir Integra's office to report for her assignment for the evening.

Standing once more before the intimidating woman behind the desk, Seras stood at attention and awaited her orders. Fortunately, Integra was not one to keep others waiting.

"There have been several attacks on the populace of London" Integra began, lighting a cigar. "We have traced their activities to an industrial zone just outside the city's limits. I am sending you and several squads to search and destroy. You will meet them downstairs in five minutes. Dismissed."

Seras saluted and exited the shadowed office, letting her face fall in annoyance. The young vampire distinctly noted Integra hadn't even asked about her training. Obviously her 'pet' had given her a thorough report on her utter failure, and the Hellsing saw fit to ignore the past weeks as if they had not taken place. But then, Alucard had rescued her, albeit unknowingly, from an embarrassing report of her three-week activities. Pushing her thoughts aside and grabbing her harkonnen from her room, she loaded into one of the many armored vehicles going on the mission.

Seras sat silently in the truck, the usual routine for traveling to a mission. They still considered her a monster, most having seen many of their comrades die at the hands of her kind. She sighed as the truck finally stopped at their destination, everyone piling out and forming into several groups. She was assigned to a small contingency made up of two new recruits, having the most experience of anyone currently on the force after the Incognito incident.

Seras looked past her small group to the object of their mission. A large workhouse stood before them, its windows shattered and the lack of street lamps telling her electricity was not yet in style when the building had been constructed. Following between the two soldiers, they passed the entranceway and turned their footsteps to the third floor with which they had been assigned to.

Reaching the top of the stairs leading down the third story hallway, the three proceeded cautiously. The radio had been unusually quite since they had entered the building and all felt uneasy in the silence. Seras could feel the behind her tremble with the heavy air and turned around to give him some comforting words. Suddenly she heard the sharp clip of a gun followed by a loud discharge.

Seras quickly turned her head at the sound of the gunshot, cursing her negligence. A splash of warmth hit her face as the body of her comrade fell to the ground, a gaping hole through his head. Then the young vampire realized the moisture on her face was blood, the blood from her now fallen compatriot. She shivered as the liquid slowly slid down her cheeks, cupping between her lips and begging her to have a taste.

Seras remembered the previous time she had felt this surge of emotion, during the attack on the Hellsing Manor by the Valentine brothers. Now the same effect was happening again, only stronger. She struggled against the urge to lick the blood from her lips, her body shaking with the effort. She heard the still living soldier give a strangled yell from behind, the final cut to her concentration. Against her will, she felt her mouth slowly open and her tongue dart out to catch the scarlet drops of life.

Seras' eyes bled a deep red as she tasted the delicious liquid, as her eyes caught sight of the Freak who had fired the gun. A grin crept across her face as she slowly began walking toward the pale imitation of a vampire, easily dodging the bullets he shot at her. Reaching the now frightened male, she grabbed him by the throat and slammed his dead pulse against her mouth. Her fangs dug eagerly into his flesh, craving the life sustenance of her kind.

Seras quickly pulled her head away and spit the cold blood out of her mouth, growling in anger at her disappointment. He had no warm blood to give her. Grabbing him around the waist and tightening her hold on his neck, she swiftly pulled her arms apart from each other. The Freak's body was torn in two, the lower part flying into the left wall while his upper body crunched against the wall to her right. She grinned as the fake's blood showered around her like a heavy rain, splattering the floor with a thick carpet of scarlet fluids.

The inexperienced soldier behind the young vampire appeared to have noticed the change, as he wandered cautiously toward her.

"Commander?" the Hellsing troop asked, catching the vampire's attention.

Hearing the noise, Seras swung around to face whomever had called. The young vampire's lips slowly drew up in a grin as she caught sight of the one foolish enough to call out to her. She had forgotten the soldier's name, but that didn't matter right now. Nothing mattered but his blood calling out to her, screaming to be devoured. Rushing with inhuman speed, she soon found herself standing in front of him. The No-Life Queen swiftly grabbed the soldier by the throat, dragging his life pulse closer to her grinning mouth. She curled her lips back and ran her tongue over her distended fangs as the pathetic human struggled in her grasp. Chuckling, she opened her mouth and swooped in for her delicious meal.

Suddenly she felt a powerful presence down the hall, slowly walking toward the two. Seras hissed at the intrusion, turning toward the person who dared threaten her feeding. She growled at the red-clad figure, baring her fangs and backing away with her prize. The power coming from this threat was enormous and she tensed when the figure began chuckling, the amusement swiftly rising to a deep, haunting laugh.

The man stopped a few feet from her, a smirk on his lips and a gun in his raised hand. Seras distinctly heard the bullet discharge from the weapon before she saw the bullet exit the barrel. She quickly moved toward the wall to avoid being shot, not choosing to hurtle from the window with the long fall. Before she stopped her movement a sudden force snatched her prey from her hand and violently knocked her to the ground.

Seras lay on the ground, feeling her arms and legs go numb from the collision with the floor. She could feel the blood lust slip away as the shock from her actions entered her body. A black portal suddenly surrounded her prone body and she slowly felt herself sink into its depths. She closed her eyes from the scene around her, slipping into blessed unconsciousness.

"What news?" Integra asked, as her retainer entered the room. She narrowed her eyes as Walter approached her desk, his face set as if in stone. He quietly handed her the report for the mission, standing back as she read over the contents. Scanning the paper, she clenched her cigar between her fingers and quickly stood.

"When did the troops return?" she asked, slamming the paper down on her desk.

"Only a few minutes ago, Sir Integra" Walter quickly replied. "But Miss Victoria is currently missing. I proceeded down to Alucard's room and called to him, but he did not answer."

"Alucard!" Integra yelled, throwing down her cigar in agitation.

The elder vampire materialized through his portal, a smug look on his face and his usual hat and glasses gone. He bowed to the both of them, though the receivers thought the gesture had a tinge of mockery in the stance.

"Do you know where Seras Victoria is? Speak well servant, remember that you are bound to my family" she hissed, her annoyance growing at his still amused face.

"Yes, Master" Alucard answered, grinning at Integra. "Seras Victoria is currently within my quarters. Why do you ask such?" he asked, his eyebrows raising in merriment. "Are you perhaps jealous?" he questioned, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"She is a threat to this organization, Alucard. She nearly drained one of my men. I intend to punish her severely for her actions. " Miss Hellsing spat back, vexed at his insinuation. She would confine the vampire to her room for an indefinite period of time until she could find a more suitable retaliation for attacking one of her troops.

"Such punishment as you see fit will not work, my Master" Alucard spoke, having read her thoughts.

"She obviously has no control over her powers. What do you propose we do, seal her in the dungeon?" Integra gave her servant a knowing smirk. The mention of the lower levels of the mansion was indeed an annoyance to Alucard, and his grin faltered some.

"I believe the runes will be sufficient to restrain her" he answered smoothly, regaining his customary smirk.


	6. Revealed

A/N: I just want to shoot this story and leave it to die...but first I have to finish it. Thanks for all the reviews, they really are the only things keeping this story on Fanfiction. Even my beta refuses to read it, she hates it that badly.

Revealed

Seras' prone form lay in a darkened room below the levels of the Hellsing mansion, her figure tossing in the throes of a disturbed dream. She was once more having the nightmare, her conscious opened to the darkened eternity. The room was as before, four walls within her view and nothing else. The young vampire tentatively stepped forward, knowing someone was watching her but not able to see them.

"Alucard?" she called, cringing as her voice echoed into the never-ending darkness, the only answer to her call. Stepping back, she suddenly found her back against a wall. The room had grown smaller without her knowing, infringing upon her small figure and stifling what little ease she had felt.

"Sweet, innocent little Seras" a voice mocked from the shadows. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

"Who's there?" she called out, her head turning from side to side. Her vampiric hearing was telling her the sound was coming from the very air around her, as if the entity had become darkness itself.

"Don't allow her to seal you" the voice ordered, ignoring her question. The room had suddenly grown cold, mirroring the sound echoing around her.

"What? What are you talking about?" Seras asked, confused by what the voice was commanding. Then her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she glanced slowly around herself, a sudden thought coming to mind. "Why do you care what happens to me?" she spoke carefully.

A low chuckle rang through the air, quickly becoming laughter as Seras' eyes widened slightly in fear. Suddenly the air darkened around her, the walls vanishing and the air became stifled with crackling energy. Black coils slithered from the surrounding shadows, their progression slow but assuredly aimed toward the vampire. The young woman took a few frantic steps backward to distance herself from the encroaching tendrils, realizing too late the many darkened extensions behind her.

Several slick ropes wrapped around her body, sliding up her legs and tightening themselves the further upward they traveled. Her limbs were pinned to her sides as the slime textured coils clamped against her mouth, muffling her screams as the restraints suddenly squeezed her bones together. Pain slammed into her very being as she writhed in the grasp of the tendrils, tears running down her face and her vision blurring.

Seras awoke painfully slow, struggling to escape the nightmare she once more found herself in. A cry escaped her lips as she pushed against the strangling darkness, writhing against the soft texture she began to feel beneath her. Then she shot up from her laying position, her eyes flitting around the unfamiliar room as she gasped for air. The walls were made of cobbled stone and mortar, telling her she was in the dungeon of the Hellsing mansion. Clutching her head between her hands, she felt tears slide down her cheeks as a whimper poured from her mouth.

Suddenly Seras sensed eyes upon her form and jerked her head up to meet the scarlet gaze of her former master. She flinched away from Alucard, the dream still fresh in her mind as her blood soaked vision tired to focus on his face. Seeing the amused look on his face, she recognized the normalcy in his actions and released a shuddered sigh.

"What happened?" she whispered, knowing he would be aware of what she asked.

"The soldier is unhurt" he answered smoothly, still standing over her like a lord to their slave. "Integra wishes to seal you to her blood" he commented calmly, as if the Hellsing leader merely wished to have a pleasant conversation with the young vampire.

"What?" Seras asked, her mind registering the similar wording from her dream. She was well aware the binding between Alucard and Sir Hellsing was by a blood bond, but had never thought there would be a need to do such with herself; though last night's actions showed how wrong her beliefs had been.

Alucard smirked at her shock and idly traced the designs on his own gloves, giving her a contemplative stare. Seras could sense he was hiding much more than he was willing to tell, obviously enjoying her utter confusion and growing unease. Realizing he would choose to remain silent possibly despite any questions she would ask, the young vampire rose and strolled boldly to the door.

"Do not cross my master again" Alucard suddenly spoke behind her, forcing her to stop in order to hear his say. "You would not give me a difficult challenge" he added, chuckling.

Seras stiffened at his words, her mind quickly comprehending the meaning behind them. In Integra wished to destroy her, her former master would be her executioner. The young woman had no doubt the Hellsing leader would protect her organization, even with the destruction of her own offices, especially if said soldier was of the vampiric quality.

These thoughts quickly flashed through Seras' mind and she resumed her retreat, crossing the halls and entering her own room. She nervously sat upon her bed, awaiting the Hellsing leader's imminent and her fitting punishment. Regardless of what the person in her dream had commanded, she had little choice but to be bound to the lady knight. Also, from what Alucard had alluded to, she was well-aware Integra wished to destroy her rather than seal another vampire to her blood and any resistance would further her conviction for immediate disposal. Though even if such was Integra's plan, Seras instinctually knew the monster within her, her vampiric counterpart, would not allow to be destroyed.

Suddenly footsteps resounded along the corridor and Seras' door was opened, revealing the imposing Hellsing leader. Her face was grim, and in her hands she held a pair of clean white gloves and a large book. Integra did not speak a word, merely turning around and walking further down the hall.

Nervously Seras stood and followed the Hellsing leader into the dungeons, wondering what she should do if Integra did try to destroy her. She glanced at the walls and distinctly noticed the moisture clinging to the air, showing they had descended well below the second basement. There were few doors along the corridor, each for a purpose the organization did not wish to disclose. Before her thoughts were complete, the woman leading her stopped abruptly in front of a simple door.

Opening the portal, Integra strode in and waited for Seras to follow. Complying and entering the small room, the young vampire slowly looked around the space. The walls were as the hall, a mixture of cut earth and stone, while the ceiling and floor were a polished cobble. However, drawn upon the ground, with what Seras surmised was a mixture of blood and paint, was a simple circle. The diameter could not have been more than seven feet, large enough to restrain a person within its circumference.

Seras watched as Integra walked around the circle, stopping opposite the door and opening the book.

"Inside" she ordered, gesturing toward the design.

Seras slowly approached the drawn object, knowing well there was an unnatural air surrounding the design. Now standing within the circle, she looked expectantly toward the Hellsing leader and awaited what was to come next.

Integra threw the crisp gloves to the young vampire, who immediately recognized the gesture and quickly removed her old pair, pulling the new cloths over her pale hands. Seeing the young vampire finish the task, her eyes drifted to the open book in her hands and she began to speak the words written upon the page.

Seras listened intently to the chants Integra read aloud, not recognizing the language but knowing they were some sort of spell. The young vampire noticed with alarm as the circle in which she stood began to glow, designs appearing around the perimeter as if etched by invisible hands. The instinct to flee swept through her being but her legs refused to move, the symbols trapping her in their intensity and forcing her to stay within the hellish arena. Suddenly noticing a distinct itching sensation upon her hands, she looked down and gasped in surprise. The designs being drawn around her were being simultaneously carved into her flesh under and atop the gloves, the feeling as if someone were slowly digging a heated poker across her skin. Her blood flowed freely from under the white cloth, creating a puddle beneath her which shimmered in the glow from the Celtic symbols glistening as her form began to spasm from the shock.

A scream escaped Seras' lips as she sank to her knees, the echoes of Integra's voice and the pain flowing viciously through her hands blocking out all other senses. Suddenly, as quickly as the sensations had come, they vanished, leaving her a weeping mess in the center of a simple white circle. She stayed kneeling on the ground, cradling her still burning hands against her chest and whimpering pitifully. The throbbing within her palms was slowly subsiding, but she had no idea anything could be so painful. If her hand had been dipped into acid, she doubted the sensations would have been any different.

Integra walked to Seras and stood over the young vampire's quaking form, drawing a dagger from her coat pocket. With a deft swipe, she created a thin cut along her arm and kneeled beside the shaken woman. Catching the vampire's attention with the scent of spilled virgin blood, she held the bleeding wound before the pale woman's slightly parted lips. Unable to resist the tempting offer in her weakened state, Seras eagerly latched onto the cut and began drawing forth the warm blood; though she managed to keep her blood-crazed side from biting down in her thirst to taste more.

Integra suddenly tore her arm away, almost causing Seras to fall forward in her need to continue the delicious meal, and stepped back. She watched with little emotion as the young vampire licked the remaining drops from her lips, her crimson eyes dulling after the satiated hunger.

Seras, feeling her strength regaining, rose unsteadily to her feet and looked for the first time at the designs now etched within her very being. The symbols on her gloves were different from her former master's own. Rather than the complicated design in the middle, there was merely a cross, similar to the Hellsing symbol on the coat of arms. The writing was also different. Instead of the 'Hells Gate Arrested And Shine Heaven Now' insignia, hers painted a much darker picture. She slowly read the words aloud, were

"Heaven's Gate Shut, Redemption Upon Souls" she slowly read aloud, her voice cracking as another flash of pain shot through her body.

Seras managed a sad smile through the still hazy pain, the phrase not being the most cheerful phrase she could remember reading. Seeing Integra step toward the exit, she followed the Hellsing back to her bedroom and obediently entered the room upon command. She walked over and lay down on her bed, still softly rubbing her hands to sooth their protesting muscles. There was no more pain, but they were sore and would probably remain such for a number of nights. The sharp sound of her door locking from the outside slightly alarmed her, but she was not very surprised by the action. She only hoped there would be no more punishment as this night's...

Later in the evening found Integra seated at her desk, a cigar in one hand and a forgotten paper in the other. She was staring out the window, watching as the sun slowly made its way over the horizon. Her thoughts wandered to the end of the conversation with her servant the previous evening.

"I did not give you permission to join the troops last night" Integra suddenly spoke, sensing as her 'pet' entered her presence. She turned her gaze upon the stoic vampire standing before her desk, her eyes narrowing behind the large framed glasses. "Why were you there?"

"Merely joining in the fun, Master" Alucard answered.

"Do not leave the compound unless I expressly give you leave" she commanded after a moment of thought. Integra was slightly taken aback when she received no scowl for her order, merely given a grin of amusement and the blessed retreat of his presence once more. "Bloody vampires" she muttered.

Meanwhile, in the basement Seras lay on her bed, cradling her hands against her chest and staring blankly at the wall beside her. She knew Integra had performed the ritual for the safety of her troops, the leader's control over her assuring such. _Then why do I feel so betrayed?_ the young vampire thought sadly, pressing the button and allowing the lid to settle over her small frame. Her heavy lids closed without her noticing, her mind drifting off to the world of dreams and nightmares. And confrontations.

Seras stood wearily amid the impenetrable darkness, her mind and body still both too exhausted to care for the reality she found herself within. Carelessly glancing around, she nonetheless jumped when a voice spoke from the shadows near her.

"You allowed her to bind us" a voice snarled in the darkness surrounding her.

Seras, for the first time since these nightmares had begun, was finally tired of the game the invisible person wished to play. She stood to the full height of her short stature and looked boldly around the area, her only source of light being a single circle not more than a few feet from her person. A small growl escaped her lips as she searched in vain to find the source of the voice, finally deciding to question the motives of the unknown person.

"Us? What do you mean 'us'?" Seras asked the air, a sharp command in her tone.

Seras heard a sharp tapping of boots ahead of her and looked forward, her eyes widening in surprise as an indistinguishable figure began to appear from behind the dimly lighted circle. She took a shocked step back, wanting distance between the stranger, but stopped within her retreat as her back came in contact with a wall. A quiet whisper passed her lips as a tall form stepped into the light cast overhead, confusion and shock etched into the single word.

"Master?"


	7. Discussion

A/N: Another chapter up, and even I'm beginning to wonder where this is going o.0. Thanks everyone for waiting this long!

Discussion

Seras scowled at her word, the old title having fallen from her lips without bidding. The figure suddenly chuckled, bringing the young woman from her thoughts and back to the matter at hand. Giving a scowl to the person before her, she was startled to see

The figure before Seras was her former master but...not. He was wearing what she could only describe to herself as a strait jacket, the same outfit he'd materialized during the Tower incident. His long hair hung loosely about his form, trailing down his back to behind his knees. His face appeared to be clean cut, but she was unsure with the limited light and shadows shifting around his figure.

The tapping of hard boots echoing along the floor brought her attention to the monster's movements, a gasp ripping from her mouth as revelations swept through her. She had realized with a sudden start the noise was identical to what she had heard in the corridor several days past, and to the eerie sounds within her dreams. This person was who had been inhabiting her nightmare, the one who had been plaguing her sleep and therefore her sanity.

"Who are you?" Seras questioned, watching fearfully as he approached. With widening eyes she recognized the movements of a predator, causing shivers to travel down her spine and a sense of panic to rise in her mind. "What are you doing in my dreams?"

"Oh, but that would be telling" the figure taunted, shaking his head in amusement. "And I haven't had my fun with you yet."

Seras noted her options while keeping a wary eye on the monster before her. She surely had some power within this nightmare to combat the figure; these were her dreams after all. Perhaps she could awaken herself and be free of this wonderland of twisted figures and shadowed walls, release herself from the darkness swaying about her.

"You believe you have power here?" the figure spoke, a slow grin appearing on his face. "What a deliciously simple thought, would you care to try?"

Seras, urged on by the monster's mocking words and the urge to attempt to create any source of control, closed her eyes and concentrated on awakening herself. Her brows crashed together as nothing would come, the panic once more overwhelming her senses. She still felt the wall at her back, the oppressing shadows around her, and the burning gaze of the figure before her. Her eyes shot open as a low chuckle was heard, her body quivering in the rising realization of complete vulnerability; she was trapped within her own mind with the vision of a vampire's greatest insanity.

"Are you giving up already?" he asked, his voice tinged with a mocking growl. "You'll try again, won't you? Just one more time won't hurt, perhaps your screams will shake the walls."

Seras choked back a startled cry as she began to slide along the wall, a desperate attempt to escape the words and form of the monster before her. The sensation of being a caged animal surfaced, the need to run, to escape this beast prevalent in her instinctually driven thoughts. The Alucard double smirked, following her shaking form with quick and sure steps. A soft scream escaped Seras' lips as he caught her, slamming his hands upon both sides of her head and effectively trapping his prey in the trap. He gazed at her for a moment, his wide grin matching with the flicker of insanity deep within his eyes.

"You are a monster, Seras. Why not enjoy yourself? Revel in your damnation?"

"It's wrong!" she argued, her voice nearly a scream. She desperately wanted to awaken, but something kept her within this twisted nightmare.

"Your precious humanity again?" he mocked, frowning in disgust. "Even you must admit your human emotions are disgusting compared to the sensations of being a vampire." He leaned his head down, brushing his nose against her bangs. "You dislike your humanity, don't you?" he whispered in her ear. "The feeling of vulnerability appalls your nature."

Seras looked to the sides of her for any hope of escape and her eyes widened in surprise at a noticed difference in the appearance of this person. The figure wore no gloves upon his pale hands, therefore the runes binding this beast were nonexistent. Staring closely she saw his long, thin fingers ended in taloned nails, suited perfectly for a predator of his kind.

Suddenly Seras felt a sharp pain in her back and she turned her head to stare open-mouthed at the walls to her sides. Pointed spikes were rising from the black shadows of the wall she was now leaning upon, the points digging into her back as the figure's body forced her own against the rising torture.

"Do you like this, sweet little Seras?" he whispered in her ear as he pressed his body closer to hers. "Pain mixed with pleasure; such an enticing mixture, don't you agree?"

Seras screamed as she felt dozens of stakes penetrate her skin, ripping through her body as she writhed beneath the figure's gaze.

Seras was brutally awoken from her sleep by a violent shaking, shooting up into a sitting position and panting as her eyes looked around her wildly. Walter stood over her, his hands still on her shoulders and his eyes wide with worry. For a moment she could not understand where she was, her mind and thoughts still trapped within the delusional nightmare. With frantic movements she began patting her body down, feeling for the gaping holes she knew the spikes must have left. Finding nothing to prove the existence of the dream's reality, she cradled her head in her hands, her eyes wide and unblinking as she recounted the disturbing nightmare. _Am I going insane?_ she thought with terror, a strangled sob escaping her lips as her body started to tremble. She curled into herself, trying to hide her face from Walter as she attempted to gain control of her ravaged emotions. The pain had felt so real, as if she had truly been torn into while the form of Alucard smirked over her mutilated body.

"Are you all right, Miss Victoria?" Walter asked kindly, noticing the shaken condition of the vampire. He could see no obvious signs of trauma and well knew vampires did not suffer from maladies, but he was unable to find any source for her discomfort.

"Y-yes, I'm all right" Seras slowly responded, lifting her head slightly and giving the kind retainer a small smile. "But why are you here?" she asked, sitting up and managing to keep her face averted from the eyes of the butler.

"I have brought you your dinner" he said, gesturing toward the bucket placed on the table. "And also a message from Sir Integra. She wishes to speak with you after you have finished with your meal."

Seras nodded her understanding and slowly stood on shaky legs, one of the posts to her bed helping to support her weight. After finally situating her into the lone chair of the table, Walter bid her a good evening and with one final worried glance left her to her thoughts. For a long moment the young woman merely stared at the blood bag ringed with ice, trying her best not to recall every horrific detail of the consuming dream. With a mental and physical shake of her well-being and head, she quickly took the nourishment in hand and drank the blood in one long gulp. Her hunger satiated for the time being, she stood and proceeded to the office of her commander. After receiving the order to enter after her customary knock, she tentatively entered the room.

"You called, sir?" Seras asked, ever nervous before the cool Hellsing leader. When motioned to a chair before the large desk she sat down quickly, her hands balling into tight fists at the thought of this new conversation.

"You must understand why I bound you. I could not allow harm to come to my men and I did not wish to seal nor destroy you" Integra explained carefully, She had noticed a slight difference in Seras' attitude since she had entered the room, a feeling of unease in her commander she had not seen before. "Alucard suggested I bind you to my blood in order to control your more...volatile nature."

"He...he did?" the young vampire asked, surprised her master would put forth any suggestions on how to avoid what could have been a much harsher sentence. She assumed he would have merely been silent on the subject of her and allowed Sir Integra to decide the punishment herself.

"Yes" Sir Integra replied to her stuttering question. "Also, Walter has told me you have been having nightmares of sorts. He spoke of finding you in the hall, merely staring into the distance."

Seras tried to repress the shudder which came with the remembrance of the corridor episode, her nerves still frayed from the recent nightmare. The voice within her told her not to speak of the recurring dreams to anyone, to tell a lie and keep the truth hidden from all.

"It was nothing, sir" Seras slowly replied, attempting to speak the truth without informing the commander of her troubles. "Just some bad dreams" she spoke, a forced laugh coming from her mouth.

Integra merely stared hard at the young woman before her for a few long moments, obviously not fully believing the words spoken to her. But apparently without more than an instinctual feeling of unease for her subordinate's behavior, she filed the information into her mind and nodded her head toward Seras.

"You may go now" the Hellsing leader said, returning her attention to the ever present mounds of paperwork on her desk.

"Yes sir" Seras said, standing and saluting her superior. Before exiting the room, however, she turned and decided to ask one question. "Sir Integra, do you happen to know where Alucard is?"

"Yes, he is in the basement. Why do you ask Officer Victoria?" Integra questioned, her face lifting from the work as an eyebrow shot up in some surprise.

"Nothing, it's nothing" Seras replied, nervously scratching the back of her head as she gave one final salute and left the Hellsing to her chores. With sure steps she walked down the majestic staircase and deeper into the sub-levels of the manor, a grim look upon her face.

During the portion of the conversation concerning her former master's unusual interest in her welfare, Seras had decided to see why he had given a suggestion to Sir Integra. As the Hellsing had spoken, she found the red-clad vampire nestled deep below the mansion, seated in his usual chair and sipping what she knew to be blood from an elegant wine glass. Strangely, both his hat and coat were missing, an appearance she had rarely seen him take.

Stopping several yards from the unmoving figure, Seras cleared her throat at the uncertainty of whether he would acknowledge her presence or not. He could just as well ignore her while she asked question after question, never giving a word back and leaving her with a pointless venture and a waist of time. To her surprise, he seemed almost interested in her coming, his eyes watching hers with the expectance of a rapt professor.

"You came to ask me something, Seras?" he suddenly questioned, moving for the first time she had seen him. He idly swirled the contents of the glass he held in one hand as he spoke, though his gaze never left her form. "I believe neither of us wishes to waste the other's time, so speak and then leave."

Seras silently bristled at his prompt behavior but held her tongue, knowing well information would come from a pacified source more willingly than an angered one.

"I wish to know why you gave Sir Integra the option of binding me" she simply stated, proud to hear her tone was solid and her words were clear. "She had told me of your suggestion and I wish to know why you found the runes to be better than anything else."

Alucard merely sat in his regal chair in silence, his customary and annoyingly unresponsive grin plastered to his face as Seras awaited an answer. Finally seeing he did not wish to answer the particular question, she opted for another.

"Do vampires experience dreams more...vividly, than humans?" she asked curiously, her words nearly faltering at the images the discussion brought. Again her questioning was met with silence and she finally grew tired of his lack of response. "Why won't you tell me?" she demanded, marching up to her sire and poking him in the chest. "Is it because I'm such a failure? Do I disgust you so much you won't waste air with me?"

Seras quickly removed her finger and took a step back as Alucard began chuckling, the noise more sinister in its sound than was usual. Her body involuntarily shuddered with the reverberations off the solid stone walls, her widened eyes filled with fear watching as his mirth seemed to consume him. Realizing she would receive no information from him and grasping onto any excuse to leave his presence, she remembered the needed target practice and swiftly turned away from the startling sight.

The sound of Alucard's deep laughter followed her down the long corridor as she proceeded to the firing range, moving through her body as one ominous tingle of things to come.


	8. Shadows

A/N: A shorter chapter than most but hopefully I'll start with the more interesting episodes in the following installments. Thanks for waiting!

Shadows

Seras arrived within the small, enclosed firing range in a matter of minutes, her hurried steps wishing any amount of distance between her maker and her. Taking a large shotgun from her locker she prepared a target for herself, adding to the effect by using red to create eyes similar to Alucard's. If she was unable to injure the true elder vampire than she would at least derive pleasure from destroying the inanimate object that now slightly resembled him.

Stepping back and operating the machinery to situate the target a distance from her, Seras cocked her gun and prepared to shoot. However, when she was about to pull the trigger she suddenly heard the door to the range open, curiously looking back to see who would disturb her practice. She watched with a great amount of apprehension as the Hellsing leader walked through the portal, approached her without hesitation. She dropped her gun to her side and stood at attention, saluting as the young blond stopped within a few feet of her position.

"What is bothering you?" Integra bluntly inquired, standing imperiously before her young officer.

Seras was caught off guard by the straightforward question, momentarily shocked and searching for a decent answer without lying to her commander. Her shoulders slumped slightly as she tried to think of a response, nervously watching as Sir Integra patiently watched her.

"I've been having some bad dreams, Sir." she quietly replied, scuffing the tip of her toes against the cement floor. "Just a childish fear, I think they might go away soon." She mentally patted herself on the back, telling the truth about the nightmares and also her belief about the dreams. After all, how long could a repetitive vision last?

"Is that all?" Integra prodded, raising a brow at her answer. If an officer under her command were truly suffering from mental instability, they would force her to take measures to solve the problem; she would not the risk for others' personal safety and the mission of Hellsing.

"Yes sir, merely some troublesome dreams" Seras spoke, rubbing the back of her head nervously as the cool blue eyes stared unblinkingly through the large, tinted glasses. With an inward sigh of relief she visibly saw the commander relax, though she was not sure from her words or the believing tones she had used to convey them.

"If you have more difficulties, report to me or Walter immediately. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir Integra," Seras said, saluting her commander.

Seras watched as Sir Integra walked toward the door, turning back to the target and raising her weapon. She concentrated on the gun in her hand, loading the shotgun and firing off a few shots as her nervousness ebbed.

A sudden noise from behind Seras stopped her shooting, causing her to turn in surprise. She was confused to find nothing, merely an empty room and still sound. Quickly turning toward the door she saw the portal had not been opened, meaning no one had entered while she had been distracted. Perhaps the Hellsing leader had not left?

"Sir Integra?"

Her question merely received the answer of silence, not a sound nor object moving in the echoing range. She took a few hesitant steps to the center of the room, her eyes turning to her left and right in an agitated sequence. Seeing nothing and supposing her hearing to be off, she lowered her head and breathed a sigh of relief. When she lifted her eyes, however, a sudden movement caught her attention and stifled her exhalation.

Standing not more than a few yards from her was a dark, shapeless shadow.

Seras' breathing became erratic as she stared at the shimmering figure before her, the lines so blurred as to make the figure almost indistinguishable to her eyes. She jerked away as the shadows shifted slightly, merely an ammo table and concrete floor distancing herself from the creature. The flinches caused to her regain some of her senses, lifting her gun into a firing position and placing her trembling finger upon the trigger; she decided to call out to the strange entity.

"Whatever you are, don't come any closer!" she managed to speak out, her voice barely passing over a terrified whisper.

The shadow did not heed her words and began to approach her, appearing to glide over the ground as mist. Seras' mouth opened in shock as the being effortlessly passed through the table, the shadows seeming to reach out to her as they drifted in the air. Then she gritted her teeth and aimed her weapon toward what she assumed to be the head, pulling back the trigger with a resounding discharge. The bullet cleanly found its target but to her horror merely passed through, lodging itself into the wall behind the darkness. She fired again and again, always emerging from behind the shadows and colliding with the wall.

Turning around and retrieving a pack of silver bullets she had placed on the firing table, Seras spun around and found the entity had closed the distance by half. She noticed with slight relief the creature was floating leisurely toward her, unfazed by her efforts and apparently not threatened by her reloading.

With more nerve then she felt Seras raised her gun and shot a single bullet in its direction, aiming toward where the heart would reside. To her surprise the shadows opened to allow the bullet clean passage, retreating back with a quickness she could barely follow. With a sense of desperation she repeatedly fired round after round, each silver object missing their mark as the shadows merely shifted to accommodate.

Click.

Seras stared horrified as she pulled the trigger again and again, only to receive the same sound of emptiness as before. She frantically searched around herself for more bullets, her belt empty and the table behind her bare. Turning her wide eyes pricked with terror toward the shadows, she dodged to the side as the being made a sudden lunge toward her. The clatter of her gun falling to the ground resounded through the room as her leap had forced her to drop the heavy weapon.

Seras managed to roll to the side as the creature whirled around, the monster turning and gliding over to her with a swiftness she could not match. Her feet were quickly caught within the strange, slithering tendrils, causing her to twist her body around and pull frantically as more shadows engulfed her legs. As she shifted the young vampire quickly realized that her binds wrapped around her body but adjusted to her movements, meaning no amount of thrashing would tear her free.

Ignoring this knowledge Seras writhed against the onslaught uselessly, turning her eyes upward and shaking in uncontrollable fear as blood red orbs peered back at her. Their depths were bottomless, the sensation of endlessly falling overcoming all her senses as she was pulled toward those bright lights. Coming within centimeters of the flickering orbs, she could feel her body struggling less against her bonds. A feeling of soothing calm slid over her body with the tendrils of darkness, which had stopped just below her neck, and giving a sense of security as she stared into the dark depths.

"My pretty little pet."

Then Seras was jolted away from the shadow, held out at arms' length from the eyes as the dark appendages holding her crept over her face. The darkness seemed to surround her as in her dreams, the feeling of suffocation pushing down upon her frame as she grasped a hand to her chest. Her legs buckled in the shadowed tendrils and she was allowed to collapse to her knees as a piercing scream escaped her lips, a maniacal laughter filling her head with horrid visions of countless bloodshed. Flashes of dying children and mothers passed through her mind, men with chopped limbs and soldiers with fatal wounds creating a horrible reel of carnage. She raised her blackness-covered hands to her head and rocked herself, tears trailing down her cheeks as the images faded into a blood-red background.

The shadows suddenly cleared as quickly as they had appeared, leaving Seras to watch through blurred vision as Walter and Integra entered the room. She turned her eyes and stared lifelessly down at her hands, her gloves stained with her own blood as she could feel trails of the cool liquid sliding down her face. In her moment of insanity she had torn her face apart in an effort to stop the visions, creating deep gashes in her flesh. The retainer quickly came over to her knelt figure as the Hellsing commander peered around the room with suspicion on her face, as though searching and expecting to find something. She noticed the many bullets lodged in the wall to her left, striding over to them and running a gloved hand over the indentations.

"We must see to your wounds, Miss Victoria," Walter said gently, cupping a hand under an elbow as he tried to raise her off the floor.

"Walter…" Seras spoke quietly, her gaze still trapped to the floor. Her emotionless tone brought the attention of Integra upon her stiff form, frowning slightly at the blank mask her officer held. "Am I going insane?"

Walter, not knowing quite how to reply, merely coaxed Seras to her feet and led her from the firing range. Integra followed the two as her retainer walked down into the basement, opening the door to the young vampire's bedroom and escorting her in while still holding her arm. He settled her on the bed and attended to her wounds, noticing their fast healing and realizing they would need no bandaging.

"Walter, we will leave Officer Victoria to rest while some business is taken care of," Integra spoke, turning from the curled form of Seras and walking through the door. Her retainer, with a gentle pat on her shoulder, left also, closing the door behind him.

Seras lay still atop her large coffin bed, her eyes staring unblinkingly at the wall against which her bed sat. Her mind neither thought nor did her body move, the smell of lingering blood assailing her nostrils but not bothering her enough to shower. After what felt like several hours she could suddenly hear the voices of Walter and Integra outside her room, discussing what to do about her deteriorating condition. A sudden flare of annoyance within herself was the only indication her mind was bothered by their concern, her body still too sore to attempt movement.

"Have you asked him if he knows what is bothering her?" she heard Integra's crisp voice through the door. Seras could just imagine her standing imperiously before her retainer, eyes narrowed in question and stance straight and firm.

"He merely replied he could not recall a vampire suffering from such a malady," Walter answered. A mental image of the elderly butler arrived in the young vampire's mind, his form perfectly postured and his monocle glistening in the soft light of the hall.

"_Why not kill them..."_

Seras gasped as the words resounded in her mind, clutching her head in her hands as she curled in on herself. The voice, the one from her nightmares; why was she able to hear him while she was wide awake?

Seras' eyes widened further as the pictures she had imagined of Integra and Walter became horribly distorted. Their mangled bodies lay on the cobble floor of the corridor, blood slowly pooling around them. Integra's empty blue eyes stared sightlessly at the ceiling, her pristine suit ripped and torn as though she had fought a mad animal. Walter's broken monocle lay beside his still body, his wires broken and embedded deep within his own flesh.

"Stay out of my head!" she screamed to the empty room, sounding the alarm of the two still outside her room. She saw her wounds had reopened, spilling a colorful array of blood onto the white sheets as the door was shoved open.

"Alucard!" the Hellsing leader yelled as her butler grabbed Seras' flailing arms and pinned them to the bed. She watched on in agitated silence as her retainer struggled against the young vampire, the red-clad nosferatu soon appearing through a wall. "Hold her down!" Integra ordered the vampire, pointing to the thrashing form of his child nearly overpowering Walter.

Alucard bowed and obeyed, walking over to the bed and allowing clear access as Walter stood aside. Seras, now freed, immediately jumped toward the nearest threatening target, her hands slashing out as she tried to tear out the elder vampire's throat. He easily dodged her attempts to bite and claw him, grabbing the still struggling Seras in midair and pinning her arms around her back; the action effectively stopped most of her movements as only her feet could kick out. She whimpered as he tightened his hold, suddenly hanging limp in his grasp as her eyes rolled back in her head.

Seras had collapsed.


	9. Pressure

A/N: Finally placed the beta-ed version up.

Pressure

Seras shifted uneasily from where she lay, trying in vain to nestle amongst the covers she knew should be beneath her. With a frown marring her face she slowly opened her eyes, noting the lid to her bed was covering her with the darkness lying all around her. Lifting her head she expected the top to brush against her hair, but to her surprise nothing was felt. With gaining attention the young vampire slowly rose herself to a sitting position, feeling nothing save the empty space surrounding her being.

Seras cautiously stood and blindly held her hands out before her, the black darkness impenetrable to her sight. With a start she drew back her arms, looking on wondrously as her pale form seemed to glow with an unnatural light. Her entire being flashed with the bright essence, filtering through her skin as curling snakes of comfort. However, the soothing aura could do nothing to light the space around her and she was still left with both confusion and apprehension.

The dimension she found herself in was similar to nightmares, utter blindness and a sense of being engulfed entirely by an unknown entity, and yet lacking in the malicious intent by the said person. Where, then was she being held? She should be somewhere within the mansion, should have been placed in her coffin… had something gone wrong? The vampire stopped for a moment, finding her efforts fruitless, and shifted through her thoughts. The last she remembered was the presence in the firing range, hunting her as if she were an animal and whispering strange words before she fell unconscious.

Seras' eyes scanned the darkness with sudden distrust, her orbs narrowing at the shifting shadows. The young vampire could barely discern such movement within the small area around her, merely a lapping of black among black. Even her hearing could find no sound to recognize, the deathly silence oppressing and ominous.

"Do you like what I have done?" a voice suddenly questioned from the dark, a voice very much familiar and startling to the young vampire.

Seras whipped her head from side to side, trying furiously to find the source of the fear now plaguing her. The monster would not let her be, would not let her drift in even this place of silence and drifting peace. Why could she not escape the voice, even for but a moment of her time? Why were no sounds heard but what he wished for her to hear?

_Why could she not see the person!_

"Perception is what one wishes to see or what is thrust into their lives," the voice murmured from what seemed to be behind her, causing Seras to swivel toward the sound. She could not discern a figure behind nor to any of her sides even as the tone continued. "Perhaps your mind wishes to block my form from your eyes?" A low chuckling sounded from a few feet before her. "But surely you wish to see me, kitten…" the person spoke in a mocking tone of hurt.

"Leave me alone!" she yelled to the floating air, covering her ears to try to block his voice. "I don't want to be a monster!"

Yet the words of the person still rang amongst her thoughts and Seras could almost feel her reality changing within herself, shifting into a mold not of her choosing. The person's tone no longer held hint of twisted amusement and insanity. The voice now grasped within the words so much promise for her, keeping both pain and hurt from her. It would be so easy to give up, and to lose one's self to the insanity. The voice was trying to make Seras do just that, give in to the instincts threatening to consume her. The joys of carnage the creature within so craved was so tempting, within her reach if she so choose. What were the last shreds of her humanity for such utter freedom and bliss?

"No!" Seras exclaimed, shaking her head furiously to dislodge the echoing remains of the person's words. "Whatever you want from me, whatever you see in me, just leave me alone!"

"Ah, but you need to remember, don't you? The power Alucard holds can be your own, shared and experienced by both if you wish," the voice whispered seductively, their breath blowing against the back of her neck.

Seras swayed under the nearly hypnotic tone of the voice, catching herself before she fell to the unseen ground. She could not comprehend the riddles the person spoke, the meanings mixed and blurred in her befuddled mind. Her thoughts, as though against her will, began playing the first memory of her former master's power, his body melding together to reform his bullet-riddled form. She watched on, almost drugged, as the scene shifted, turning to her first successful kill. Off in the distance a tunnel could be seen through the binoculars at her side, the dark mist swirling and floating about Alucard.

"Such a tantalizing treat to witness such majesty, do you not agree?" the voice cooed, a ghost of a hand brushing her hair in a possessive gesture. "Even then, as a weak fledgling, you were still able to look with awe upon the vampire's abilities, knowing one day they could be yours. Do not lie to yourself with your foolish human ideals of good and evil," the person almost ordered, as though he had heard her thoughts before she was able to coherently form them. "Each of us makes our own heaven and hell according to our own devices, and we each have the will to create our own paradise."

Seras shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, the words enticing and yet damnable. The voice was leading her to hell with sure steps, intent on bringing her into a world where neither right nor wrong held court. She could not allow this..._thing_, to do such, could not forsake what her humanity held so strongly. To do so would mean the end of who she was and the beginning of a long nightmare to become who the entity and Alucard wished her to be: a monster.

"So you still fight for your soul?" the voice mocked, chuckling even as the air around the young vampire grew colder. "Did no one teach you of immortality, little one? Everyone is doomed to die but those who seek to live forever against all odds, and those are few who can overcome death to achieve their goal. You have the ability to do such within your grasp and yet you remain ignorant of your very heritage."

"Leave me alone!" Seras whimpered with barely concealed fear, shutting her eyes tight to block the nothingness surrounding her. "I never asked for you to come here and bother me. I don't want your help, I don't need your help with my lif-"

Seras' sentence was cut short by the outburst of wild laughter, vibrating her very bones as the sound rang across the space. The darkness before her swirled, as though called by someone, and a dark shape emerged from the black depths. She immediately recognized the form from the range and took several hurried steps back, her eyes wide in shock and terror.

"Oh, what fun you are, little Seras!" the figure gleefully spoke, waving what appeared to be a hand in the air before him. "What blatant stupidity with the added charm of naivete to create such a perfect blend of false purity!"

Seras' face showed her mixture of confusion and disbelief toward the being's words. What was it speaking of concerning her supposed purity? She knew well her soul was damned and would eternally be trapped within hell. Looking upon the seals on her hands was proof enough of her tainted self, the words holding no comfort for when she would eventually perish as a vampire.

"Ah, I see the facade of innocence withers even now," the creature spoke, almost ecstatic in tone. "But do you know when the change began, little one? Perhaps watching your former master awake after so long, released from all his shackles?"

A final memory was shown to Seras and she gasped, the tower room coming into her mind's eye with clarity. Her master stood before her in all his power, like an unsheathed sword made by the most skilled craftsman. The sight had almost been...arousing. Had not other matters been more pressing, she would have watched his battle, if only to see him in that form. But as a loyal officer of Hellsing she had been forced from her trance, called to the tower by Integra's weakened presence within the stone structure.

"Yes…" the voice hissed in amusement, the figure stalking around her slowly as the vision faded. "Even then you felt the pull, the wonderful ecstasy of control and power."

Seras, as though her will had been stripped from her, slowly nodded her head. Her eyes were half-lidded, her breathing coming out in pants of stale air as she watched the darkened form disappear behind her. She gasped as ghostly arms wrapped around her waist, pinning her own limbs to her side as shadows drifted across her neck.

"Such a pity we cannot play longer," the voice cooed almost gently, suddenly releasing its hold on her. Seras almost regretted the loss, until the creature spoke once more. "But later, there will be more time. Immortals have all eternity to enjoy each other, no?"

With one last glimpse of the twisting form Seras was violently jolted from the world of darkness. She slowly opened her eyes, expecting to find herself upon the floor of the firing range, but was shocked to meet with the same bleak shadows she had only just abandoned. Then she heard voices, garbled and mixed beyond recognition. A heavy pressure was upon her arms, forcing her down upon a soft surface. Were they trying to get her also? She struggled against the hold, fighting futilely to break free and escape these people. With a sharp hiss she bit deeply into one of the hands, gratefully hearing an answering hiss of pain as she was released. Blindly moving off where she had been held, Seras stiffened, as the sounds around her seemed to be on three sides.

Then words broke through the garbling mess of echoes, causing Seras to hesitate in her actions.

"I recommend the use of her seals, my Master." a male voice spoke, the suggestion almost one of command.

"Agreed." A female voice commented calmly, the tone almost familiar to the young vampire's confused mind. "Seras Victoria, stand down," the person ordered.

As the words were spoken Seras began to feel a slight burning sensation on her hands, growing and spreading up her arms with steady surety. She tried to fight the scalding threatening to consume her body, not familiar with the feeling, but the heat only intensified. With a sudden jolt of pain she crumpled to the ground, her vision flickering and finally coming to focus. Then did the faces of her supposed assailants come to view, showing the questioning glances of Walter and Integra while her former master's grin was wide upon his lips. Her memories of her time after her attack surfaced back into her thoughts, causing her mind to spin with the intense emotions she had felt being slammed into her in one blow.

The cleansing of her self-afflicted wounds, overhearing the discussion outside her door, the images the monster had sent to her, and then appearing in the darkened realm of her nightmares. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she buried her head in her hands, curling into herself under the gazes of the room's other occupants.

"Alucard, I want answers." Integra commanded, breaking the uneasy stillness of the room. "Officer Victoria is being attacked by an unknown entity and I do not wish to have an unstable vampire within my ranks. The seals are tolerable for now but I cannot accompany her as one would a mischievous child. Something must be done."

Seras raised her head sharply at the words of her commander, shivering at the possible ways to avoid any problems with the other inmates of the mansion. The seals could only do so much, orders given which she had no choice to follow and commands being instilled within her thoughts to protect the soldiers and staff; but even Sir Integra must see the creature driving her to the brink of insanity would find ways beyond her wording. A simple sentence to desist from killing the troops could be toyed with, leading to mangling bodies and crippled men who would live. The young vampire's thoughts were thrown from her mind as her former master spoke, his words giving, as usual, no comfort to the situation.

"What do you wish to know, my master?" Alucard responded, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose to reveal his amused red eyes. "I assure you her condition has never been seen by myself, so what answers could I give you?"

"Bloody hell…" Integra murmured beneath her breath, looking down at the vampire still kneeling upon the ground. Giving a tired sigh she pinched the bridge of her nose and turned to Walter, her eyes firm with resolve. "Find out as much as you can about Officer Victoria's lapses and bring the information to my office when you have collected all you can." Walter nodded and crossed his right arm over his chest, giving a brief bow before exiting the room. The Hellsing's eyes then fell upon her elder vampire, narrowing in what could be considered a suspicious gesture. "You will stay with your child until I deem she is fit to be left alone."

Alucard's grin, which both females fully expected to fault, widened and he looked to Seras with a strange expression neither woman could discern.

"If that is your wish, my master." He spoke with amusement, settling himself comfortably in the single chair residing in the room.

The commander raised a brow in question but took the mysterious behavior in stride, nodding her head and turning to the door. Seras felt apprehension as she watched Integra close the portal after her, leaving her alone with the psychotic elder vampire.


	10. Questions

A/N: Another chapter done with an unknown amount to go...

Questions

The sound of the door shutting seemed to echo around Seras as quiet embraced the air in the room. She nervously turned to the resting vampire in the chair, his cheshire grin seeming to be larger than was normal for him. She slowly stood from her place on the floor and seated herself upon her bed, her gaze never leaving the red-clad vampire's face. Alucard merely watched her, his eyes following her as though she were the prey and he the predator.

For several minutes time ticked by, each moment seeming to last an eternity for Seras. She dared not drowse off once more, fearing her nightmares, and Alucard behaving so quietly was most unusual. He had not uttered one sarcastic nor insulting remark toward her as yet and she distrusted his seemingly passive character.

The quiet moment did give Seras the chance to ponder his choice in staying with her. She had never known him to show attention to her before and had even avoided her for the majority of her vampiric life; yet he had taken Integra's order of attending to her as though he were overjoyed at the prospect of being alone with her.

Seras shivered at her last perception, wishing nothing more than to erase the thought. Alucard wishing to have someone to himself had only taken place when he was toying with his enemy or greatly enjoying destroying one of the pathetic Freaks they fought. Neither options were comforting to her current situation.

"Enjoying the show?" Alucard suddenly asked, startling Seras out of her thoughts.

The young vampire looked to him with a puzzled expression, not sure she had heard his question correctly. What 'show' was she supposed to be watching? A slow frown began to mar Seras' face as she stared hard at the elder vampire, suspicions rising in her mind as to his purpose for watching over her.

"I don't know what you mean," she stated carefully, turning away to look into her lap.

"But I think you do," he said, his voice lowering to barely above a whisper. "Still having nightmares, are we? Do you fear them...or," and here Seras watched as Alucard's grin widened and his glasses slid down the bridge of his nose, revealing the ruby orbs of the monster who had sired her. "Are you starting to enjoy them?"

"Shut the bloody hell up!" Seras screamed, jumping from her seat. Her fists shook at her sides as her eyes glowed a bright red, their heat directed at the reclining vampire. "Stay out of my head and stay out of my dreams!"

Alucard merely continued to grin, infuriating Seras further with his silence. He had neglected her training, had treated her with respect befitting only an imbecile, had invaded her dreams to what end she could not fathom, and had bluntly refused to answer all of her questions. She could nearly feel her cold blood rising as a snarl escaped through her lips while at the same time she felt her hands extend into claws. With a mad yell and a wild jump she hurtled herself at the composed monster, her mind filled only with the intent to kill.

However, her plans were foiled when Alucard grabbed her wrists, stopping the plunge of her nails mere inches from his revealed throat. Seras screamed in frustration, snarling and attempting to bite into the hands holding her. The amused look on the elder vampire's face only infuriated her more, increasing her mad twisting and turning in the unbreakable grip until she thought her wrists would break under the pressure.

"Quite the brave one you've grown to be," he spoke in a mocking tone, chuckling as she continued in her struggle to free herself. "A vicious little kitten with teeth and claws." At the last word he lifted her from the ground, peering curiously at the long fingers still trapped in his hands. "A new trick, Police Girl?"

"Don't call me that, Alucard!" Seras hissed, knowing he was goading her on with the mention of her 'pet' name but unable to stop herself. "Let go of me, you bloody monster."

"And what are you, Seras Victoria?" Alucard snarled in return, throwing her away from him and freeing her from his grasp. With a cry she hit the solid cobbles, the sound of pain all but ignored by the vampire standing over her. All amusement was now gone from his face, replaced with disgust and annoyance. "Do you believe yourself innocent? One of God's creatures merely thrust into this existence? You chose this life, girl."

Seras mutely stared at the vampire from her seat upon the floor, her scowl, though still in place, held less venom than seconds earlier. His speech had confused hers, stopping her mad thoughts of injury in an abrupt halt of questions without answers.

"But of course you do," Alucard commented, his manner changing to one of casual. He waved his hand in the air as he strode back to his seat, resting upon the chair as if the violent conversation hadn't occurred. "Sweet, innocent, _human_ Seras with your high morals, believing you hold mankind's sins."

Seras jerked her head up at his words, now watching his movements with a new kind of fear. She had always known her former master to be insane, assuming him to be a vampire probably fraught with too great an age to hold stable awareness. However, the words he had spoken showed anything but what she had believed. He'd shown a different kind of intelligence, one separate from the bloodthirsty beast she had, regretfully, come to know. The new monster seated calmly before her, his eyes once more hidden by his impenetrable glasses, revealed a fiend well-versed in psychological attack.

What Alucard had said, regardless of whether Seras believed his words or not, were convincingly analytic. Of course, she had known he was well-versed in taunts and the like, but the intelligence he had shown was disturbing. He was attempting to manipulate her into his own beliefs merely by twisting ideals humans held and which vampires scarcely followed. Innocence, humanity, both esteemed highly by the species she formerly belonged to and which she desperately wished she had never left.

Especially now when she realized he was trying to make her into a monster through the taunting of her supposed 'weaknesses.'

With caution the young vampire stood from the ground, never allowing her gaze to leave the deceivingly harmless figure seated at her table. Until sunrise, by her reckoning a long way off, Seras would be forced to stay on the defensive. There would be no good in provoking him any further, seeing how he was still unwilling to speak in any words but riddles. What she feared the most, however, was for Alucard to abruptly end the 'game' he was playing with her and end her existence to save his pride. She could only hope for a miracle to win against the elder vampire, one that she knew had little chance of occurring.

'_Is the kitten finally going to show her claws?'_

"Stay out of my head!" Seras screamed at Alucard, pointing an accusing finger at the still figure.

The vampire in question raised one elegant eyebrow, a single fang glistening in the soft light as a half smirk appeared on his face. He leaned forward, intertwining his fingers and placing his chin upon them. His dark chuckle rang throughout the room as his glasses once more slipped down the bridge of his thin nose.

"Hearing voices, Police Girl?" Alucard questioned, his voice betraying a strangely eager quality.

'_Play his game; you might enjoy it.'_

"No!" Seras screamed in anger, her ire returning with more fervor than before. "I won't be your plaything anymore, Alucard!" she exclaimed, baring her teeth at the highly entertained vampire.

"Having troubles?" Alucard questioned, standing from his chair. "Your humanity is losing. Let it." he pushed, stepping toward the quivering vampire. "You have nothing to gain by keeping those foolish notions," he cooed almost gently, grinning as Seras shook her head in defiance.

'_Do it now!'_

"Get out!"

A large black shadow suddenly burst from Seras' body as her scream rent the air, swirling around the small room in a tornado of chaos. Alucard barely had time to escape the darkness as a mass of tendrils shot forth, destroying the chair and table he had been standing next to. The lights above were quickly extinguished, enveloping the room in complete darkness for all but the vampires.

With his wild battle grin in place Alucard looked to his former fledgling with glee, letting escape a hiss of pleasure at the picture before him. The darkness twisted around the kneeling form of the young vampire, seeming to caress her flesh as she held perfectly still. Suddenly her body began to shake, bursting forth in a fit of insane laughter as she raised her head. The sight of the darkened red of Seras' eyes thrilled Alucard, his fangs sliding over his lower lip as his smile grew wider. As she stood to her feet she returned his grin, a mirror to his own, and raised her open hand palm upward, catching a ball of energy within her grasp. With a cock of her head she lifted her other hand and beckoned for him to come at her.

"Finally some fun!" he cried, his laughter echoing off the stone walls as his glasses and hat disappeared. Alucard held up his hands, the symbols glowing brightly as he called forth his own powers. "Let us see how long you can last!"

At his words the room suddenly erupted in a hell of dark energy, the two clashing in the darkness as the walls shook with the force. The wooden bed was torn apart as Seras emerged from the chaos, her fist smashing through the timber mere inches from Alucard's solid form. With a wild cackle she flipped into the walls and vaulted off the stone, throwing a ball of energy in mid-leap. The elder vampire laughed as a wall of tendrils blocked the black orb, the explosion cracking the ground beneath.

"Is that all!" Alucard asked, his dark energy coming to rest around his body. "You must have more than this!" he laughed, watching as Seras did the same with her own black tendrils.

With her wild grin Seras suddenly threw up an arm, the floor between them breaking apart as a wide strand of power shot from her body. The line cut through the heavy stone with ease as Alucard frowned, lifting an arm and effortlessly knocking the darkness away from him. The energy hit the wall to his right, shaking the beams of the room as well as the hall.

"You disappoint me," he growled angrily, scowling at Seras.

Seras merely laughed as the shadows around her body grew longer, expanding and colliding with Alucard's own. However, an inhuman snarl was suddenly rent from her throat as she raised her hands. The seals imprinted upon the gloves were burning a blood red, the glow illuminating the dark room with the eerie light. The shadows around her began to writhe as if in agony as she clapped her hands together, her teeth clenched as her blazing eyes flickered in the dark. With a last burst of power that nearly pushed the walls within themselves, her eyes shut and she collapsed to the ground.

"Longer than expected…" Alucard spoke quietly, stepping toward the prone body of Seras.

He watched silently as she began to stir, looming over her with an almost impatient air. Soon her eyes fluttered open and with a groan she placed her hands upon the stone, lifting herself off the ground. However, she stopped in mid-rise as her vision finally took in her surroundings.

The splinters of what were once her bed lay in ruin upon the shattered stones of the floor, scattered among the broken glass of the crushed overhead light. The walls had been pushed back into themselves, even now bending and creaking under the push of some great force. The remains of her table and chair had been shoved into the wall opposite her, imprinted into the very mortar of the stone.

Among the still chaos Seras looked to see Alucard silently standing over her, staring into her gaze with an impassive face behind his unbroken glasses.

"Oh my God…" Seras whispered in a hushed tone, gaping in disbelief at the carnage surrounding her. She couldn't remember what had happened to destroy the room, her last memories being of arguing with Alucard. She had yelled at him, had even had enough gall to attack him, and then...nothing. Her stunned eyes turned to the elder vampire. "What happened here?"

Alucard's grin merely widened at her question as he took a step back from her, a portal suddenly opening behind him. Before Seras could stop him the vampire had stepped into the darkness, disappearing with one last chilling laugh.

"Alucard!"


	11. Coercions

A/N: Unfortunately, this is the unbeta-ed version of the chapter, so please forgive me if there are mistakes...possibly horrific mistakes.

Coercions

Seras awoke some time later, her head throbbing madly and her wrists and ankles feeling heavy. Sitting up she realized she was no longer in her room, but from what little she could decipher through a strange gloom she was in an area similar to where Integra had performed the binding ceremony. Shivering at such a comparison she attempted to remember how she could possibly have gotten to such a place and how to remove herself. As she sat there upon the hard, cold floor with surrounding bleak walls, with growing concern did the vampire realize her memories were bringing forth nothing.

She could not recall anything from after Alucard had entered her room to the time she awoke.

Seras clapped her hands over her head, trying to remember anything other than Alucard standing before her about to speak. She gritted her teeth as her nails dug into her hair, her body instinctively bending down to the ground in a coiled position. The young vampire began to shiver as still nothing came, her head jerking up and her eyes looking around wildly in both frustration and creeping fear.

With a half-strangled cry Seras stood and launched herself, as though she could escape the horrors of her mind, at what appeared to be a doorway hidden in the gloom. However, she was violently jerked backward, releasing a startled cry as her chance of sanity seemed to slip away. Her knees slammed roughly back upon the cobble stones as the sounds of chains were heard behind, her head whipping backward and her eyes widening in shock.

Behind her, wrapped loosely around her ankles, lay two massive chains, each several inches thick. Seras slumped to the ground as she stared at the impressive links, her mind awhirl in confusion. For a moment she stared lifelessly, her body listless and unblinking. She could not comprehend how this madness had begun, or why she was being tormented by the voice in her mind, but she knew her sanity was nearing the breaking point.

Suddenly Seras clenched her teeth, her fists balling tightly as her eyes softly began to glow a light crimson color. She didn't notice as the mist around began to swirl, nor as the chains behind her glowed with restraining symbols similar to those shining brightly upon her gloves.

"What in the bloody hell is going on!" she screamed to the shrouded air around as she suddenly lifted her head upward. "Why won't anyone tell me what is wrong!" she yelled furiously, in her fit beating her hands against the cobbles until they bled.

"Such language" a mocking voice called, stopping the young vampire's frustrated tantrum.

Seras allowed her arms to hang limply beside herself as she looked about almost apathetically now, not even flinching as the figure of her nightmares soon appeared from the shadows.

"You again?" she questioned quietly, slowly turning her back upon the mirror image of her former master. "Why don't you go bother someone else? You've caused me enough trouble to last a lifetime."

"Ah, but we're not finished with each other just yet, Seras" he called, seeming to float around Seras as he grinned down on her pathetic figure.

At the mention of her name Seras lifted her head, giving the nightmarish creature a disinterested yet captured look. Seeing he had her attention, the figure floated down beside her, their cheeks nearly touching.

"Would you like all the answers?" he asked, whispering into her ear. "I can give them to you, anything you'd like to know."

"And what would be the catch?" Seras replied, attempting to put some distance between them but being restrained by the chains around her ankles.

"You've tortured me, driven me insane during my sleep, and...and I don't know how I got into this chamber!" she cried out as she clapped her hands over her ears, shaking her head as if the action would revive her memories.

"Is that all?" the shadow asked in a slightly exasperated voice, reaching out and lightly touching a hand upon her forehead.

Seras' head shot up as images suddenly entered her mind, filling the gap which had existed there. She recalled the struggle within her chambers, the emotions she had felt and the power which had coursed through her. Then her eyes lit up in understanding, her body quivering with rage as she jerked away from the nightmare's touch.

"You were the one who destroyed my room, weren't you?" Seras accused as her head whipped toward the figure, her eyes narrowed in anger. "You were the one who forced me to attack Alucard!"

"I could release you from these binds" he spoke soothingly, apparently ignoring her questions. He ran a hand over the manacles, grinning as the symbols flared up at his touch. "Integra doesn't trust you, but you do not need her approval for your actions."

"Answer me!" Seras demanded, standing to her feet and overshadowing the figure. "You're just another pathetic monster!" she shouted, now turning the tables as she began pacing around the amused looking mirror image of Alucard. "You keep my memories from me, doling them out like they were nothing! You're no different than the others, giving what you want and leaving me with more questions!"

"Ah, but you misunderstand me" he suddenly spoke, rising to his own feet and staring her straight in the eyes. "I keep safe your memories from your former master, the pet of that Hellsing. If I didn't, they would possibly use them against both of us" he explained, his voice tinged with venom at the mention of Integra. Then his face contorted into a wicked grin as he kneeled before her. "And with the episode in your room, only part of it was my doing."

"What are you talking about?" Seras asked, scowling at the nightmare only inches from her.

"I only encouraged what you wanted" the figure stated, waving a hand in the air almost lazily. "Your own foolish, human inhibitions keep you from such...fun" he commented, giving her a roughish smile. "And that woman keeps you from fully enjoying what you experience" he added, his grin slightly faltering as he stared into Seras' face. "But you can change all this, you can release us both from her orders" he said as his voice became noticeably more excited,

"You're forgetting" Seras commented almost bitterly as her shoulders slumped, looking at the gloves she wore. The symbols upon those were still glowing, causing her some discomfort. "According to you, we're both bound to her orders."

"Ah, but together we may not be" the shadow spoke with barely controlled enthusiasm, picking up Seras' hand in a gentlemanly manner. "Integra is merely human, nothing compared to what we both can create."

"What are you babbling about?" Seras asked in an increasingly exhausted voice, wrenching her hand from his and seating herself once more upon the stone. "What are we able to create?" she questioned with some suspicion, messaging her hands as the burning seemed to increase. "And what would be the price?"

"You would have to give me complete control" he spoke slowly, grinning at his captivated audience. "Your body, your mind, everything. The control would be only for a short time of course, but long enough for our goal to be obtained."

"Then I refuse" Seras flatly answered, turning away in disgust at such a ridiculous offer. "Nothing is worth doing that, even for a little while."

"Even your freedom?"

Seras noticeably flinched for a moment, then turned slowly toward the figure looming behind. She looked for a long moment at her nightmare, her eyes narrowed as though she were trying to read the monster's mind.

"What guarantee do I have that I can trust you?" she asked slowly, standing to her feet again. She walked over the mirror image, frowning slightly. "And exactly how long would this self-imprisonment last?"

The figure before her grinned widely, his eyes opening in glee as he settled a hand firmly upon one of Seras' shoulders.

Meanwhile, within Integra's office a discussion was taking place between master and servant.

"Explain to me how Miss Victoria's room is now utterly destroyed" Integra ordered as she sat in her chair, her statement directed at the vampire standing before her desk. Walter stood off to one side, watching the affair with an interested ear.

"She merely attacked me" Alucard answered, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as a hand reached up and cupped his chin lightly. "I defended myself while enjoying the show, nothing more."

"I am well aware Lieutenant Seras was violent, hence her necessary internment" Integra grated out through clenched teeth, slowly swiveling her chair around to face the large windows behind. "However, I am sure you have already read her mind" she commented with a knowing half smile, looking to the bright red moon shining in the sky. "What made her attack you?"

"I don't know" he answered plainly, shrugging his shoulders without care.

"What do you mean?" Integra asked, half turning her chair to face her servant vampire. "Explain yourself, Alucard."

"She did not hold any memories of our...encounter" Alucard replied, leaning against a far wall.

"She was blocking them from you?" Integra asked incredulously, raising a brow at the vampire's words.

"No" Alucard flatly stated, his eyes narrowing at the open slight. "They were merely not there."

"Then why did you suggest we chain her to the floor with sealing symbols upon the links?" she asked in agitation, turning half circle and slamming a fist upon the wood of the desk. "The seals are not to be used lightly, especially on a whim."

"The choice was not on a whim" Alucard answered with some hint of insult, stepping away from the wall and once more approaching the desk. "Seras is a danger to the humans in the mansion and what she will do is too unpredictable allow her freedom, no matter how much fun the carnage would be" he added with a sly grin.

"Then should Miss Victoria's seals on her gloves be made stronger?" Walter asked, bowing as he intruded upon their conversation. "Pardon my speaking, Sir Integra."

"Not at all" the Hellsing answered, giving some thought to the retainer's words as she closed her eyes. After a moment she opened them, looking to Alucard with a question. "Why did you decide against the glove seals, Alucard? And answer truthfully, by order of your own seals."

"Because they would not have held" the vampire answered in a growling tone, either from impatience or the forced comment was unclear. "With the seals focused at one point, she would be able to break them easily with her powers directed at the gloves. However, by spreading the seals it forces her powers to spread too thinly to break the magic."

For a moment Integra simply stared hard at her servant, scowling as she too in what the vampire had spoken. Finally she gave a small, rough sigh and leaned back in her chair, intertwining her hands as she settled her chin upon them.

"And you're sure this will work?" she questioned once more, her voice dubious with the information Alucard had given her.

"The only one who can answer that question is Seras" Alucard answered mysteriously, giving a small bow. "You will have to ask her yourself."

"Then we shall pay a visit to Lieutenant Victoria" Integra flatly stated, standing and walking toward the door.


	12. Discovery

A/N: Almost done with this story with one final chapter remaining.

Discovery

Integra and Alucard made their way to Seras' holding cell within the basement, neither saying a word as they soon arrived at the heavy wooden door leading to the room. With no hesitation did Integra grab the thick handle and pull open the portal, stepping into the cell and looking to the center.

Seras was standing in the midst of the cold room, her face turned toward them and a small smile upon her lips. She said nothing as the Hellsing approached with Alucard silently behind, stepping up to a large ring of white chalk around the young vampiress. Integra surveyed her lieutenant, paying close attention to the chains which bolted her to the floor. The white chalk, which in actuality was a ring of seals placed about for extra protection, appeared undisturbed but the calm air around Seras created a strange unease within the room.

"Seras, do you know why you are being held in this room?" Integra asked, carefully studying her servant's reactions. She was mildly surprised when she merely remained standing there, staring at them with the same expression of suppressed glee. After a short time with no response she grew somewhat impatient, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Answer me" she firmly commanded, frowning as Seras' gloves flared up in response to her words but the vampire before her continued her motionless stance. "By the seals, I comm-"

"Such sweet pain" Seras suddenly interrupted, holding one of her glowing hands up to her face. "Perhaps you were willing to give me more, but now is quite enough. You wouldn't wish to harm me, would you?" she questioned, her grin growing wider and revealing her sharp, glistening fangs.

"What is the meaning of this, Alucard?" Integra ordered, turning to her elder servant with a quick snap of her head. "Have the seals failed?" she interrogated, though she knew the answer was obvious with the vampiress still confined to the circle and chains.

"No, my master" Alucard responded calmly, his own mouth revealing an interested smile. "However, I believe in our absence something has occurred. Something quite...interesting" he added, giving a small chuckle.

Integra scowled at his amusement, choosing to turn her attention back to Seras. Inwardly her confusion and anger were growing, though she managed to retain her composure to find the answers she needed to unwrap the growing mystery surrounding her new servant.

"Answer my question, lieutenant" Integra calmly ordered, stepping closer to the white barrier. For a moment Sir Hellsing thought Seras meant to defy her once again, but her idea was soon dispelled.

"Because I've been a naughty girl" Seras insolently replied, taking a step closer "But you've come to free me from my punishment, haven't you?" she added, a hint of malice in her voice.

"I will not" Integra answered, unperturbed by the disrespectful and unexpected response. "You shall remain in confinement until you are fit to control yourself."

At Integra's words Seras for the first time showed an emotion other than amusement, her brows turning down in vexation. However, she quickly regained her earlier posture of enjoyment and turned her attention to Alucard quietly standing behind Sir Hellsing.

"Alucard, my sire" Seras suddenly spoke, addressing Alucard for the first time. She opened her arms in a welcoming gesture, giving a great grin akin to his own. "You've come to visit me? How kind of you" she added with some sarcasm, giving him a mockingly sweet smile.

"You are not Seras" the elder vampire stated calmly, walking to the edge of the white seal upon the floor. He faced the being in front of him, his ever-present smirk upon his face. "These games we've played have been amusing, but my master grows weary of them."

"Then you know of me" she said, giving a smiling of her own in return. Seras' entire mood and posture changed before them, her stance straightening with power as her eyes glowed a dark red. Then she cocked her head in questioning, chuckling slightly. "But have you found who I am?"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Integra angrily asked, stepping up beside Alucard and glaring at the female vampire.

"The blood Seras drank of in the Tower was not from Alucard, the Hellsing's pet" the creature spoke, its voice filled with both loathing and venom as she turned to Integra. The being's stance grew more assertive as it folded her arms across its chest, widely grinning with self-possession. "She took in Dracula's blood, the purest form of midian."

Integra's eyes lit up in understanding as she recalled the day at the Tower, her releasing of the seals to Alucard's full power.

"I see you understand, Hellsing" the creature spoke, grinning widely in enjoyment. "Lying in the pool of Alucard's blood when you commanded his powers' release, she was able to absorb me into her wounded body" it explained, pacing the length of it's chains. "Part of my soul through my blood transferred into the fledgling's body, binding us together in both the spiritual and physical sense" the being commented lightly, waving it's hand in the air nonchalantly. "Such a wonderful feeling moving into her body, shifting through her thoughts and learning her every desire" the creature with Seras' body spoke, giving a small chuckle with the memories.

Integra stared silently at the monster before her, scowling as her lips were set in a firm line. She looked through the many books she had read during her time as the head of Hellsing, attempting to remember anything within her readings which could give light to the situation. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind to the frustration of the Hellsing, though any chance at further analyzing her thoughts were interrupted.

"You needn't hide your thoughts from me, Sir Hellsing" the creature mockingly spoke, bending over and looking upward at Integra as it grinned widely. "I am gladly willing to welcome your suggestions of my destruction with open arms, though my detainment within this ingenious prison restricts my physically embracing you" it added with both a hint of amusement at their wit and hatred at their imprisonment.

"Return Seras Victoria, monster" Integra stated flatly, both riled and shaken by the monster's ability and willingness to intrude upon her thoughts. Especially disturbing was the inefficiency from her years of training to block the creature's probing of her mind. "Seras is a vital member to the Hellsing Organization."

"She does not wish to return, having her own amusement within her fantasies" it commented with an air of indifference, shrugging its' shoulders. Then the creature's attitude changed, becoming more serious. "But I have demands of my own. I wish to be released and these seals" she said, lifting a gloved hand and studying the runes on the back, "are quite the nuisance. They have less effect on me than on your pet, but their powers are troublesome. Sir Hellsing, you are the only one who can release them so do it."

"And I will never do such a thing" Integra snarled, her ire peaked at the monster's insolent command.

"If you release the seals and let down this barrier now, I promise you a quick death" the vampire spoke, stepping up directly against the white seal. The energy of the barrier began crackling at the invasion of its space, sending a charge of power through the room. "You can't keep me here forever and you cannot destroy me" the creature state with more urgency in their voice, raising their hand palm towards Integra.

Alucard and Integra watched as the being pressed their hand against the seal, causing a bright flash of power to erupt from the contact. The creature barely flinched as the protection began blasting its body, sending jolts about its form and throughout the room. The noise of the energy exploded around the area, filling the silent space with crackling.

"Alucard!" Integra commanded above the sounds, watching as the barriers wavered before them but held. The vampire beside her raised his gun, aiming at Seras' heart with a steady hand.

"Have you grown so weak as to obey humans at their every whim?" the creature before them spat at the No-Life King. "She would indeed make a perfect bride, but such insolence!" the being spoke, gesturing toward Integra. However, its arm slowly lowered as a grin crept upon her face, allowing the room to return to quiet and peace once again. "Ah, you know as well as I that the bullets will not destroy this body. Do you patronize your humans so often, without their knowledge?"

Alucard did not respond nor did he retract his weapon, but the smile on his face grew wider to reveal his own fangs.

"You sired a strong vampire indeed, Alucard" it spoke as its own smirk mirrored Alucard's own. The creature before them held up an arm, tracing the veins carefully. "The blood running in these veins is mine now, not one of filth polluted by Hellsing experiments."

"Alucard" Integra spoke deadly calm, turning toward her servant. "Destroy it immediately."

However, her attention was turned once more to the beast within the confinement spell. The creature's body began to shake, its eyes closed as a hand flew to its stomach in habit. The laughter then broke out, a distorted version of Seras' own. The sound was more akin to an insane cackle, the harsh sound echoing in the stone room.

"Taking that action would not be wise, Master" Alucard commented, watching the creature's amusement with little expression as he lowered his gun. "The part of Seras still remaining will retain her stubbornness and any attempts to destroy her would result in massive destruction."

"Then what will happen if I release Seras' seals?" Integra asked, ignoring the creature even as it began to regain its composure.

"The creature within her will have complete control of her powers. It will go into an insatiable bloodlust and destroy everything in its path." Then did Alucard give a side glance toward the Hellsing, his voice even and without emotion. "With the full use of my powers sealed, I won't be able to stop it" he added, looking between Integra and the interested creature beyond the barrier closely following their conversation.

Integra quickly realized what he was asking of her, a small scowl appearing on her lips. Alucard needed all his dark powers to combat the beast, no, Dracula raging within Seras' body.

"And how do you propose to stop the monster once in your final form?" she asked curiously, turning her back on the vampiress and retaining her full attention on her servant.

"With my powers restored and within the sealed barrier we will have a competition, a duel of sorts" Alucard slowly explained, a small eager smile rising on his lips. "The best will win and the loser will forfeit what the winner wishes. Agreed?" he asked, addressing the creature past the seal.

"I find that plan very satisfactory" the being answered with a grin of its own, nodding in agreement.

"No" Integra simply said, knowing that to set Alucard free might bring about complete chaos of possibly the entire world. "There must be another way. I will not have tw-"

"There isn't."

Integra jerked at her servant's interruption, her eyes widening in surprise at the firmness in his voice. She then looked at her servant through narrowed eyes, weighing the choices presented to her more carefully even as her vampire spoke on.

"Release the seals, Sir Integra" Alucard hissed, his tone almost commanding. Integra watched with a cold chill as the color of his eyes grew so dark they looked almost black, and his fangs had grown to their full length. His hair whipped about his face like snakes as he released some of his powers, though the seals restrained him from releasing them any further. "There is no other way."

Integra cooly looked between the two vampires slowly, her mind pondering her decision. To release Alucard could bring disaster but giving in to the monster's requests was not an option. However, by liberating her servant she could still retain control of the more powerful vampire...

"Very well then, Alucard."


	13. Understanding

A/N: The final chapter for a long-written story.

Understanding

"How long will this take?" Integra asked the tall vampire as he stepped up to the barrier separating them from the creature within.

The plan now encompassed a full confrontation between the two, a vampiric duel of sorts within the confines of the barrier. Sir Hellsing watched in composed apprehension as the monster with Seras' body stepped backward, giving a mocking bow as though welcoming Alucard's coming into the sphere of containment energy. Even with the cocky attitude of the being, though, Integra had confidence in the experience of her vampire. However, their plan hinged too heavily on the barrier holding up against the onslaught of such power, a condition which did not please her. She could not control the spells any farther than how she had drawn them to begin with.

Moving to the heavy door barring the only exit from the room, she placed her finger upon a buttoned panel beside the doorway.

"All troops, evacuate the building immediately" she commanded, speaking over the intercom system installed throughout the mansion. "That includes you, too, Walter" Integra added, shutting off the intercom and turning back to the scene playing out between the two Nosferatu.

"So, pet of Hellsing, shall we start?" the entrapped vampire questioned, his voice barely restraining his eagerness.

"Indeed" Alucard answered as he faced the challenger. He turned to look over his shoulder, giving Integra an expectant glance.

"Very well" Integra replied, nodding as she stepped toward the protective barrier. "Barrier release, approval granted" she spoke, bending down and lightly touching the seals upon the floor. A small opening in the wall appeared, barely the height and width of the Hellsing vampire. "I will release your seals when you enter" she added as she stepped to the side and turned toward Alucard.

Alucard merely bowed in reply, striding forward and through the opening in a few short steps. Integra stooped once more and quickly tapped the entrance's frame, closing the seal once more. She stood and watched as the two vampires silently faced one another, neither moving as they seemed to observe each other.

"Good evening, Sir Integra" a voice suddenly spoke behind Integra, distracting her from the scene before her.

The Hellsing whipped around and came face to face with her retainer, a small smile upon his face. He stood in the doorway of the room, though when Integra turned to him he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him with a gesture of finality.

"Walter, I ordered you to evacuate" Integra sternly replied, outwardly scowling at his disobedience but inwardly glad at his deep loyalty.

"I am grateful for your concern, Sir Hellsing" Walter responded with a bow, his eyes flashing in respect and some amusement. "However, I will not leave you."

"Very well then" Integra answered after a moment's thought. With a smile and a nod, she turned her head back to the dome before them.

To her vexation, the seal within had filled with a darkened material. Any visibility without the dome was impossible, and she had yet to release Alucard's seals for the battle she could no longer observe. She steeled herself and stepped up to the black seal, her eyes narrowed and stern.

"Permission given for seal release" Integra spoke aloud, her voice steady and firm.

From without nothing appeared to have happened within the dome, but within herself Integra could feel the bonds which held the seals stretch to their limits. She crossed her arms as Walter came to her side, looking to the darkness beyond. They could now only wait together.

From within the dome, the two vampires had stood their ground a few yards apart. Alucard wore his grin as he made the first move, slowly removing the Jackal from his coat and dropping the human weapon to the ground.

"Discarding your human toy?" the creature questioned with a smirk, looking behind Alucard at what he knew to be Integra standing behind. "Your master would not agree with your throwing your protection away."

"This will be a battle of vampires" Alucard explained as he stepped forward, silently waiting for the seals within his gloves to be released. "There's no po-"

"As your human master is distracted, I think I shall begin my part" the monster suddenly interjected, stepping back to the very boundaries of the surrounding seal.

A wave of darkness suddenly shot from Alucard's opponent, enveloping them and the dome within night. Alucard's vision penetrated the darkness around him but deeper shadows surrounded the monster, causing a growl of annoyance to emanate from his throat. However, the shell lasted no more than a few moments and the barrier began drifting away, revealing not the form of Seras but of something else. The creature which now stood before Alucard was a mirror image of himself, though the clothing was of a different fashion which the elder vampire quickly recognized. A dark cape and Victorian era suit Both faces reflected the gleeful anticipation of a worthy fight.

Before him now stood Dracula, the vampire Alucard was a century before.

"So you reveal your original form?" Alucard asked with unrestrained excitement in his voice, standing tall and at attention. "Then we'll see if I have become as weak as you assume" he spoke as he felt the seals being released. Darkness now engulfed himself as his clothes transformed into the familiar black straight-jacket and pants, indicating his final form. "A fair game, as it is."

"Very well" Dracula replied, his voice having changed from Seras' own to the original deep.

As the last syllable left his lips the two vampires leapt toward each other, grinning madly and releasing their power about themselves. Tendrils entangled within each other as the identical powers battled, ripping and tearing at each other as their masters tore into one another with lengthened claws as hands. Blood covered the walls of the seals and the combatants, as cloth and skin were torn asunder. Breaking bones were heard as arms were dislocated and legs pulled at odd angles, though no cries of pain but merely insane laughter echoed along the walls. However, the mending of flesh and bone could be deciphered from the noise just as quickly, showing the power of regeneration the vampires held.

"Is this all you have!" Alucard cried as he dodged a long claw and countered with a punch into the gut, his hand exiting out the back.

"Foolish pet" Dracula answered, withdrawing Alucard's hand from his stomach and throwing him into the wall with a crunch of ribs. "We shall see what you have" he added as he gathered his tentacles to him, balling them up and focusing his power into a single attack.

"Indeed" Alucard cried out as he mirrored his soul's actions.

The power emanating from the vampires began colliding within the limited space of the dome, clashing and expanding against the walls. The ground began to shake with the effort of the seal to contain the battling powers, darkness shooting out like electric shocks as the vampires' eyes glowed deep red. With sudden insane laughter a massive explosion erupted, blowing both them back into the walls as tendrils sharp as stakes sliced through the combatants.

Meanwhile, without Integra and Walter watched silently as the darkness occasionally flickered, showing some sort of movement within the darkened dome. However, the tranquillity of the room was broken as blood-colored liquid began covering the walls, splattering in huge amounts of gore. Massive earth shocks suddenly followed as they traveled along the seal's walls, causing the dome and the very stone walls of the room to violently shake with the force. They remained silent during the earthquake, each watching expectantly for something extraordinary to happen. The eruption of power nearly blew them off their feet as cracks appeared in the seal wall, black mist leaking out through the minuscule cracks. After several moments of electric shadows the seal became silent, though both their minds were abuzz with what power could have caused the near-destruction of the Hellsing barrier.

Within the seal the shadows still lingered as they attempted to find their masters, twisting about each other with a few half-hearted clashes. As the blood from the clash settled, with some remaining to drip from the ceiling, the two vampires could be seen standing apart. Each was still bleeding profusely, with deep gashes and wounds across their bodies and their clothing cut to pieces to reveal their pale skins. Nonetheless, they both held their ground with firm strength and a grin lay upon their faces, indicating their readiness for another bout. However, neither had gained the upper hand in the last attack and the futility of the situation had already dawned upon the participants.

"It appears we have arrived at an impasse" Dracula commented almost casually, straightening himself as his clothing began repairing itself. "Neither of us can win, nor can we lose. Shall we make an agreement?" he offered, watching as his opponent mimicked his movements and rose to stand tall.

"I know what you're thinking" Alucard answered, raising his hand and looking at the gloves glowing brightly. Then his eyes turned upward to peer at his opponent, grinning madly. "And I know your plans for Seras. One bride caught to replace the others lost is too obvious. I'd assumed you had a little more imagination."

"Ah, so you had known of my actions" Dracula spoke with amusement, a dark glitter in his eye. "Well done, pet of Hellsing" he commented, clapping with a respectful bow. "I had thought you had grown docile with your years of pathetic opponents and donated blood."

Alucard merely stood there silently with a grin, allowing his mirror image to continue.

"With your soul within another's body, you have a chance to regain some of your freedom from the Hellsing" Dracula observed, giving a wicked laugh. "You merely need to acquire the person's blood to absorb their soul. So you would use your fledgling as a means to escape your imprisonment?" he questioned, his eyes boring into the other's calm orbs. "How fitting a true Dracul" he commented, though his tone then grew serious in its intensity. "But you cannot defeat yourself, so you cannot create the needed bond to succeed in the soul's transaction."

"Are you so sure?" Alucard interjected, raising a brow in question.

"This vampire's body will merely become a puppet, a ghoul, without the bond. A vampire twice-taken will become nothing else without the tie" Dracula explained, his eyes narrowing in firm conviction. He straightened himself to his full height and stood directly before Alucard. "One must submit to the other."

"Submit to me then" Alucard simply stated, stepping forward and beginning to stroll around his opponent.

"Seras is now mine and I have the freedom to use my power more fully than yourself" Dracula commented, folding his arms across his chest. "Why should I will lose her and my freedom to another?" he asked, his eyes turning to Alucard's with a wide, demonic grin upon his face. "Trapped within those seals for over a century, awakened only when they were released by the ruling Hellsing. Enlighten me as to why I should agree to your proposal."

"Because you planned for nothing else" Alucard answered casually, stopping his pacing on Dracula's side. "We both crave for this freedom, and you are no longer the vampire of this era. You must disappear."

For a moment silence reigned between them, each pondering their own plans and comparing the other's thoughts. Then Dracula sighed and bowed in submission, giving a small, dark chuckle as he stepped before Alucard. The two stood, facing each other for a moment, before the Hellsing vampire smirked and leaned forward.

Integra and Walter, both growing more impatient at the silence that had followed the explosion than the battle that had obviously taken place. However, their wait ended as the darkness within the dome suddenly began to dissipate, finally allowing them a view of the interior. With inward grins they watched as Alucard's form appeared, standing within the center grinning tall and proud. Within his arms he held an unconscious Seras.

"Seal release approval revoked" Integra spoke aloud, watching with satisfaction as the symbols upon Alucard's hands dimmed and faded. "Seal release approval granted" she added, watching as the dome's walls collapsed with apparent relief from its strain.

The two humans waited as Alucard walked up to them, saying nothing but shaking his head as Walter silently offered to take the vampiress in his grasp.

"Well?" Integra asked, her voice calm and collected as she awaited the report.

"The vampire has been eliminated" Alucard replied, as if the opponent had been nothing but a Freak. "Seras will have no lasting effects."

"Very well" the Hellsing answered, looking between the two vampires with some suspicion. "Anything else to report?" she added carefully, watching her assassin's reaction.

"Nothing" he spoke with an even tone, stepping to the side and strolling past Integra without another word.

Integra turned to watch as the two vampires melded into the closed door, her face showing none of the concern she felt for what had taken place. The air within the mansion had changed, as had her vampiric retainers, and only time could tell her what had truly taken place within the sealed barrier.

"Walter, alert the men to return to their duties" Integra ordered as a she turned to her human retainer, nothing appearing to be out of the ordinary for her.

"Yes, Sir Integra" Walter answered as he bowed and left the room.

Meanwhile, the two vampires had quickly arrived at Seras' room, even as the vampiress within Alucard's arms began to awaken from her sleep. With a groggy murmur she slowly opened her eyes, blinking in confusion before the world came into focus. With a somewhat startled look she pushed herself out of the elder vampire's arms and slipped down onto the floor.

"How much do you remember?" Alucard asked, his face like stone as his eyes watched as Seras, with her back to him, walked over to her bed.

"Everything" she quietly responded, looking over her shoulder with a quiet expression. "Even when you two fought."

"And after?" Alucard questioned, watching her carefully. Seras silently nodded her answer, turning to look at Alucard carefully.

"You had planned this all along, hadn't you?" she asked with certainty, her voice firm rather than accusing. The smirk was enough of a response for her, as her eyes grew with some mild shock though the emotion quickly dissipated. "How long will you stay with the Hellsings?" she asked quietly, leaning against the wall behind her. Everything was just as she had left it, yet her undead life had changed.

But then again, maybe it was just she who had changed. The use by the two Draculas, one a contriving mind and one a trapped soul, and her own naivety bothered her more then she was willing to show. Nonetheless, she had learned from the experience, and lost from it also, and along the way she had grown stronger.

In both mind and, possibly, ability.

"We shall see" Alucard answered with a sly grin, melding into a swirl of darkness.

Alucard appeared at his chair situated in the basement, settling himself in even as he listened to the humans return to the mansion form their evacuation. He raised one of his hands and peered at the glove with an amused grin, hearing as Integra began giving orders to her troops. Unbeknownst to all but one, the imprinted seals upon Alucard's gloves shattered and slowly faded into oblivion.

**The End**


End file.
